Coming Clean
by christinasesok
Summary: C/7 Chakotay and Seven's relationship is still under wraps, but it's all put in jeopardy when they're sent on an away mission that potentially puts not only their secret relationship but their lives in danger. They will have to rely on their friends to overcome this and make it back to Voyager in one piece. Note: not THAT away mission, I promise.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Bare footed, Chakotay stood in the small kitchen in his quarters chopping a pepper into small pieces. On the stove, the pot of chili boiled. Swearing under his breath, he quickly abandoned the pepper and snatched up the spoon to stir the concoction. The boiling immediately subsided. He hoped the food wasn't burned. Usually, he simply replicated a meal for nights like this, but he was feeling daring and wanted to try his hand at cooking. His mother had taught him how to cook when he was a young boy, but it had been so many years. He hoped he didn't mess it all up by not paying attention. Of course, he was running behind. He met every evening with Kathryn to debrief the day, and they had gotten sidetracked, as they usually did, with generic small talk. This had lead to him to late getting back to his quarters and starting dinner. He couldn't tell Kathryn that he had to cut their meeting short, or else it would have lead to her asking questions he wasn't prepared to answer, not yet at least. Eventually, he would have to talk to him about his evening, and the many other evenings he'd spent in secret, but he wasn't ready for that conversation yet. Satisfied with how the meal looked, Chakotay went back to the pepper, only to be interrupted again by the door ringing. This time, he wasn't upset. His date had arrived right on time, which was her usual habit.

Rather than call out for his guest to enter like he normally did when someone showed up at his quarters, Chakotay temporarily abandoned the kitchen and crossed the room. Answering the door felt strange to him, but it was far more personal. He pressed the button, and the door hissed open, revealing Seven.

"Hello," she greeted formally with a curt nod. Anyone passing by in the corridor would have thought that she was there on official _Voyager_ business, which was her intention. Their relationship was still a well kept secret, something both of them wanted to continue until they had the nerve to come clean to the Captain. Although it was only a matter of time until people found out. Given the fact that there's barely over a hundred and fifty people on this ship, everyone always knows everyone else's business. This leads to gossip spreading like wildfire from one end of the ship to the other in a matter of hours, regardless of if it's true or not. Somehow, Chakotay and Seven have managed to keep their rendezvouses under wraps, but they both knew they're on borrowed time. The sooner they come clean, the better for everyone involved.

"Hello," he echoed as he stood to the side to let her in. The door closed firmly behind her. As soon as they were alone, Chakotay took her by the waist and pulled her close. "Hello," he repeated as he rested his forehead against hers. The repetition of greetings caused Seven to smile. She didn't understand the need to repeat their greeting, but she liked the close proximity to Chakotay.

"Hello." Their lips met in a slow, passionate kiss. She drew in a deep breath and snaked her arms around his neck. His hands drifted down, brushing over the gentle swell of her hips beneath her bodysuit that left nothing to the imagination. Their lips parted. "The dinner you have prepared smells delicious and well-prepared." Chakotay chuckled as he pulled away.

"Well, well-prepared is exactly what I was going for," he informed her as he crossed the room to check on the status of the meal. The chili simmered on the stove.

"What can I do to assist you?" Seven offered as she fell into place next to Chakotay. Her time in the kitchen with Neelix had made her adept in the kitchen, although she was just now adjusting to eating food on a more consistent basis. Usually, she ate because she knew she should. Tonight, however, she couldn't wait to eat. Everything smelled delicious and tempting.

"Nothing," Chakotay insisted. "You're my guest, so you're job is to relax."

"I don't think I feel comfortable with that. There must be something I can do to assist you." He sighed. "You can pour the wine." He nodded in the direction of a bottle of wine sitting on the countertop next to two wine glasses. Seven didn't need to be told twice. With surprising expertise and comfort, she opened the drawer where she knew Chakotay kept his bottle opener, along with the other random cooking necessities. She dug around until she found the bottle opener. It wasn't until she started opening the bottle of wine did she realize what she'd done. Coming to Chakotay's quarters was such a regular part of her routine now that she no longer had to hunt for things in the kitchen, she automatically knew where everything was. The realization was startling to her. She hadn't even realized how often she was here until just now. Everything was second nature to her. She felt comfortable coming here. When she looked at Chakotay, she realized that he felt comfortable with her here as well. When she first started coming here, Chakotay always wore his Starfleet uniform. Despite the fact that they were on a date, there was always a sense of formality between the two of them. Now, things were different. Chakotay stood in the kitchen in his barefeet, a pair of khaki pants and a deep green button down shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned, revealing a deep v of bronzed skin. He looked absolutely at ease and comfortable. He didn't even have his communicator on. It sat discarded on the coffee table. Right now, Chakotay wasn't Commander of _Voyager_ but instead a man preparing dinner for his date. It made Seven feel self-conscious and too formal. She still wore her usual bodysuit with her hair pinned up, and her communicator was still on. Perhaps she should have changed into something less formal, although her wardrobe was limited to a small collection of bodysuits. The Doctor told her that she could start transitioning to regular clothes as soon as she felt comfortable, but she wasn't sure she was ready for that yet. The bodysuits provided her with a certain sense of comfort, although they were somewhat revealing. Perhaps next time she would try to replicate something more casual and appropriate for an eleventh date.

With the bottle of wine clutched firmly in one hand and the bottle opener in the other, Seven stared off into space as her mind wandered. Chakotay glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he dumped the peppers into the pot of chili and did a quick double take when he saw her. He'd never seen her get lost in her thoughts like that before. Usually she was on point and doing exactly what was expected of her.

"Seven, everything alright?" he asked as he walked over to her. Without even realizing what he was doing, he trailed his fingertips along her spine. It was a small gesture, but when combined with his voice, it was all she needed to come back to reality.

"Yes, I'm fine," she assured. She shook her head and blinked several times before pouring two gracious glasses of wine. Satisfied with her answer, Chakotay returned to the stove to stir the chili. After nearly burning it several minutes earlier, he was paranoid about making the same mistake again. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" he inquired.

"I feel that I am too formally dressed for this date," Seven replied as she eyed his clothes. Right away, he knew what she was talking about. "My research did not indicate at what point the shift between formal dates and informal dates begins." In a few quick strides, he approached her.

"Well, that's easy enough to fix," he assured. His voice was low and husky with anticipation. He kept his eyes locked with hers, he reached behind her. With surprising expertise, he took a hold of the simple metal pin that fastened her hair back. As soon as he unpinned her hair, it tumbled to her shoulders in golden waves. "Much better." Unable to resist, he brushed his lips along the top of her head. "And let's get rid of this." Chakotay removed the communicator from her chest, his fingertips temporarily brushing along her breast in the process. It was a fleeting touch, but it was enough to send jolts through Seven's body, all the way to her core. Never before had she ever been touched like that, and she didn't know how to react. She involuntarily drew in a sharp breath. The reaction wasn't lost on Chakotay. He was aware of how intimate his touch had been as well. That hadn't been his intention, but now that he saw how she reacted, he realized that he wanted to get a reaction like that out of her again.

"I, I thought Starfleet regulation dictated that officers must always wear their communicators during waking hours," Seven stammered as she regained her composure.

"Well, your commanding officer is telling you that it's alright," he assured as he carelessly tossed the communicator onto the counter. Seven wasn't entirely sure how she felt about bending the rules, but Chakotay seemed confident in himself as he picked up both glasses of wine and held one out. She took it, and he promptly tapped his against hers. "To us," he toasted. A warm blush crept across her cheeks as she took a sip of wine.

Seven was fairly certain that if she took another bite of food, she would burst. She couldn't believe she ate two bowls of chili and a large slice of cake. They were also on their second bottle of wine. Normally when she ate, it was smaller meals as her body continued to adjust to needing food after so many years. Tonight, the food had been so delicious that she hadn't even realized how much she was eating until she stopped eating and let everything settle. Her skintight bodysuit bulged at her stomach, another sign that she'd eaten far more food than she should have.

"I had no idea you were such a skilled chef," she commented. Chakotay got to his feet and began to clear the dirty dishes scattered across the small table.

"Well, I was highly motivated." He leaned over and stole a quick kiss. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." With the dirty plates and bowls balanced precariously, he retreated to the sink.

"How can I assist you?" Seven asked as she followed him into the small kitchenette.

"You can help by sitting and relaxing. You're my guest, and guests don't do dishes."

"Commander, I must protest-" Chakotay spun around and held a hand up in protest.

"Seven, first of all, there's no need for such formalities. Right now, I'm not your Commander."

"I apologize, the word just slipped out." He waved the comment off dismissively.

"Second of all, my guests never do dishes when they come over for dinner."

"Guests?" Seven pressed with a raised eyebrow. "You frequently have guests over for dinner like this?" Almost immediately, Chakotay began to mentally berate himself. He should have chosen his words far more carefully. Now it sounded like he had a revolving door of dates in his quarters, which couldn't be further from the truth.

"No. Of course, the Captain has been here for dinner many times, and sometimes the Senior Staff, but never anything like when you come here." Seven slid one arm around his waist and rested her other hand on his shoulder.

"Good, because that would be highly improper and grounds for me to become very jealous and upset." He rested his forehead against hers.

"I wouldn't want for you to become upset." In a flash, Seven pulled away.

"Good, so then you wash the dishes, and I'll dry them." She quickly grabbed a dish towel and eagerly awaited the first clean dish so she could do her job. The action left Chakotay feeling confused. One second, he thought he was flirting with her, the next he realized he had lost the argument he thought was over. It all happened so quickly. It dawned on him that he had been tricked. Instead of feeling insulted that his guest was cleaning up, he felt impressed that she managed to pull a stunt like that on him in the first place. Usually he thought that he was better at reading people and figuring out when they were tricking him.

"Fine," he relented. His tone spoke volumes; he wasn't happy with Seven getting her way. When he looked at the smug look of satisfaction on her face, however, he realized he couldn't stay mad. It was sweet of her to offer to help in the first place. Chakotay rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing more bronzed skin stretched tightly over flexing muscles. For a moment, the sight distracted Seven as she stared at him. He sensed her staring at him, but he decided to ignore it. Instead, he turned on the water and got to work.

With the two of them working together, it only took Chakotay and Seven a fraction of the time to wash, dry and put the dishes away. With a flick of his wrist, he drained the sink. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Seven, who intently dried off the last dish before putting it away. Unable to resist himself, he flicked some water in her face. Startled, she jumped, and her head whipped around.

"What was that for?" she inquired. While most women would be angry and frustrated by such an action, she simply looked confused.

"You looked far too serious, and as your commanding officer, I'm ordering you to loosen up a little bit." There was a playful sparkle in his eyes as he explained his reasoning.

"I'm too serious, and splashing water on me is going to make me have more fun?" Seven just wanted to make sure she understood his logic correctly, although it didn't make much sense to her. "I hardly see how getting each other wet leads to us having fun. It seems annoying and like it will make a mess that we'll have to clean up." Chakotay had no idea what he expected when he initially splashed Seven with water, but he didn't expect her to start over analyzing what he hoped would become a flirty and spontaneous moment. He ran his fingertips down the length of her arm, stopping just before the palm of her hand before drifting back up again.

"It's supposed to be fun," he explained. "Don't worry about the mess, it's just water. Having fun is a part of the human experience."

"Well, in that case, I guess it's my job to retaliate and join in this 'fun'." With surprising speed, Seven turned on the faucet and splashed water in Chakotay's face. Laughing, he stumbled backwards and put his hands up to protect his face. An unspoken declaration of war had been called between the two of them. Chakotay turned on the faucet as high as it would go, filled his cupped hands with water and threw the water in her face. Not to be outdone, Seven snatched her empty wine glass and filled it with water. As soon as Chakotay attempted to flee, she grabbed the collar of his shirt. When he tried to pull away, the bottom two buttons popped off and scattered across the floor. Both of them ignored it as she dumped the water on his head. The surprisingly cold water ran down his back, plastering his shirt to his body.

Chakotay was about to fight back when the doorbell rang. He wasn't expecting anyone else tonight, which was why it was the perfect evening to spend with Seven. Gasping for breath, he snatched the towel Seven had discarded and tried in vain to mop up the water that trickled down his neck and back with one hand while he grabbed his wine glass with the other. It didn't dawn on him that his shirt was now completely unbuttoned, he was soaked and had a glass of wine in his hand. He was more concerned with whoever was at the door, although he could simply ignore them, if it had been an emergency, they would have come up on the comm system or go directly to Kathryn, if they dared interrupt her evening.

The last thing Harry expected when Commander Chakotay's door opened was to see the Commander standing there practically shirtless, dripping wet and with a glass of wine in his hand. The casual nature of the greeting caught him off guard. While he'd interacted with the Commander on a more personal level in the past, never anything like this before. Even in his quarters, he figured that Chakotay still held on to some semblance of formality. Or at least that's what Harry liked to believe about the Commander. In the background, Harry caught sight of Seven, also dripping wet, but what surprised him the most was the fact that her hair was down, and she was also pouring herself a glass of wine. While Harry honestly had no idea what Seven did in her down time, he didn't expect to see her in Chakotay's quarters drinking a glass of wine and doing God only knows what else. They both seemed completely at ease with each other in this casual setting. All of this was a side of Chakotay that Harry had never seen before.

"Uhh...am I interrupting something?" Harry stammered as he struggled to regain his composure after the startling revelation behind the door.

"No," Chakotay assured, a little too quickly and a little too emphatically to be fully believed. He moved in an attempt to block Harry's view of inside the quarters, but he had already seen everything. "What do you need?"

"You wanted my report as soon as it was done," Harry replied as he handed over the file.

"Thank you, Ensign." Try as he might to sound formal, although his current situation was anything but formal. With a curt nod, Chakotay closed the door, leaving Harry free to draw his own conclusions about what was going on.

Alone once again, Seven did her best to mop up the mess with a towel she retrieved from the bathroom. Chakotay tossed the file from Harry on the table and knelt down next to her to help her clean up the mess he technically started.

"That was most immature and unprofessional," she observed. "We should not have been so careless." While Seven seemed embarrassed, Chakotay seemed to not care.

"We were having fun, that's hardly a terrible offense," he pointed out.

"But you are the Commander of this vessel, and you answered your door in a less than professional manner. We should have been more discreet." Chakotay hooked his fingers under Seven's chin, forcing her to look at him.

"What we do during our down time is hardly anyone's business," he informed her. "Don't feel embarrassed." He brought her lips to his in a soft kiss. Despite Chakotay's assurances that there wasn't anything to feel embarrassed about, the emotion still consumed Seven. It was a strange sensation. Emotions in general were something she was still adjusting to. Try as she might to suppress her embarrassment, she simply couldn't. It was just like when she realized she had romantic feelings towards Chakotay. For the longest time she tried to push them away, but they always came back. Now, she was dealing with the same sensation with her embarrassment. Seven had no idea how she would be able to look Harry in the eye next time she saw him. He wasn't dumb, he would be able to figure out what was going on here. Usually she and Chakotay were far more careful about their dates. They had grown reckless in their comfort with each other. It was only a matter of time until the entire crew would be gossiping about them, which was the last thing she wanted. Everyone had finally stopped staring at her for being a former Borg, and now it was going to start up all over again.

"Harry!" Tom's voice caused Harry to turn around. He hadn't expected to see him out and about in the corridors at this hour. Usually by now he and B'Elanna were trying to get Miral down for the night, although it was possible that Tom was trying to put off the inevitable screaming and crying that came with putting Miral to bed. It was never an easy feat.. Tom jogged up to Harry and swung his arm over his friend's shoulders. Tom's greeting barely registered, he was still trying to figure out what he'd just seen in Chakotay's quarters. "What's wrong?"

"I just dropped off a report to Commander Chakotay…"

He trailed off, prompting Tom to press him for more information, "And…" It was hardly a big deal to drop off a report to Chakotay. Tom had done it at least a dozen times himself. Everyone did. They were instructed to go to Chakotay before the Captain with most issues, which allowed Kathryn to deal with the most pressing issues quickly and efficiently. It was the unspoken rule on the ship.

"Seven of Nine was there, and they were both soaking wet, and Chakotay wasn't wearing a shirt." The admission definitely caught Tom off guard. He was so surprised by it that he stopped walking in the middle of the corridor. Of all the things he expected Harry to say he saw in Commander Chakotay's quarters, that was the last thing he thought he'd say.

"Chakotay and Seven of Nine, huh?" Tom stared off into space for a few seconds as he thought it over before starting to walk again. "I definitely didn't see that one coming. I always thought he had a thing for the Captain."

"Me too." Tom shook his head in disbelief. While he and B'Elanna had managed to keep their relationship under wraps for quite some time, not that they'd been particularly discrete, it apparently seemed that Chakotay and Seven no longer had that luxury. It was only a matter of time until everyone else found out about their secret relationship. Nobody was able to keep a secret around here, no matter how hard they tried.

With the water finally mopped up, Chakotay lounged back on the couch with his arm draped along the back. Seven immediately settled onto the couch next to him, allowing him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and draw her close. He rested his forehead against hers.

"You know what would make this night perfect?" he murmured.

"Based on my past research and current observations, I would conclude that this evening can already be classified as a success." Chakotay resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Leave it to her to be so analytical when he was trying to be romantic.

"Well, I have a way to make it even better." As gently as possible, he maneuvered them so she was sprawled out on the couch and pinned beneath him. Her hands rested on the back of his neck, rubbing in small circles while he did his best to brace himself against the furniture so he wouldn't crush her. He stole a quick kiss. He couldn't resist it. She looked absolutely stunning right now. Her hair formed a halo around her, and the dim lights almost caused her to glow against the dark fabric of the furniture. "Stay for the night," he suggested. Her hands slid down to rest on his chest, ready to push him away if necessary. His chest felt warm against her hands. The sensation was oddly comforting to her. Chakotay was acutely aware of the change of position and was ready to move if she wanted him to. Never before had they laid like this together on the couch, and he wasn't sure how she would react to it. Slowly, she began to relax. Having him on top of her like this was oddly relaxing and made her feel safe.

"Given the current situation, I don't think that that's appropriate." A look of confusion flashed across his face.

"'The current situation'?" Now Chakotay was confused. Seven just told him that tonight had been a success, but apparently now there was some sort of situation that prevented her from staying overnight with him, even though he could see in her eyes that she wanted to.

"Ensign Kim has seen us. If we are to dissuade any rumors surrounding us, I should leave promptly and discretely."

"Unless Harry goes around telling everyone, I don't see what the problem is."

"What if he goes to look for me and can't find me? Surely then he'd draw his own conclusions, which would only cause the rumors to spread." Groaning, Chakotay pushed himself to a seated position. The romantic moment was ruined. Seven sat up as well. Deep down inside, she knew that she had been the one to cause the moment to end, but she also knew that they had to think logically right now; they couldn't let their other emotions cloud their judgement.

"Look, Seven, if you don't feel comfortable staying for the night, just say it, don't make excuses like this." Unable to resist himself, he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. Her platinum locks stood out starkly against his darker skin. "I just thought that it would be a relaxing way to end our tenth date." Obvious apprehension flashed across Seven's face. It was fleeting, but Chakotay was perceptive enough to pick up on it. "Forget it. Maybe another time. I can see that you don't want to."

"It's not that I wouldn't care to join you," she blurted out. "I was just unprepared for the suggestion. I have not had time to adequately prepare and conduct research." Chakotay laughed. It was a deep laugh that shook his shoulders as he tried to suppress it. The reaction caused her to tilt her head to the side in confusion. "I fail to see what is so humorous."

"There's no research to conduct, Seven. It's just a couple spending the night together. But if you want to do it another time, that's fine with me. We can just call it a night." Seven took a hold of Chakotay's hand and laced their fingers together. The action felt natural to both of them.

"I don't want you to think that I am unappreciative of your offer, but there are certain...implications that come with such a proposal that I feel I am inadequately prepared for." He brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly.

"There are no implications here. I promise you. I would never force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"I do find the offer appealing." A glimmer of hope started to build up inside of Chakotay. Perhaps she would give in after all. "And I have been meaning to conduct my own research, not rely on others. There is only so far research can take a person before he has to start to think for himself." The dual meaning of thinking for oneself wasn't lost on him. "Besides, I have been wanting to discuss expanding the parameters of our relationship." Subtlety wasn't one of Seven's strongest suits. She trailed her fingers down Chakotay's chest. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I'd like that."

Chakotay leaned in for another kiss. This time, Seven moved to straddle his lap, which gave him the perfect opportunity to run his fingertips along her side, gently tracing her prominent curves. Groaning, he pushed himself to his feet. Seven weighed more than expected given her slight build, but that was to be expected given the remaining Borg implants that littered her body. At first, Chakotay stumbled under the weight, but he quickly regained his footing. It caught Seven off guard, and she braced herself, just in case he dropped her. She trusted him explicitly though, and he stood his ground. She locked her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom. In a less than graceful manner, they both tumbled onto the bed.

"I hope you are aware that I do not require as much sleep as a regular human."

"Well it's a good thing that becoming Commander has made me an insomniac." She stroked his cheek.

"If neither of us require any sleep, then why did you propose that I stay for the night?"

"Because when we do fall asleep, I can't imagine anywhere I'd rather be than your arms." The comment flattered Seven, although she did feel a certain sense of uneasiness that came with spending the night in Chakotay's quarters.

"You're trying to seduce me," she pointed out.

"No, you're far too intelligent for that." Growing uncomfortable with his elbow braced against the bed, Chakotay rolled onto his side. His feet dangled over the end of the bed carelessly.

"Yet you continue to flatter me."

"I can't help it." He continued to his fingers along her side, which sent shivers down her spine. It was an unusual phenomenon for her. Despite the numerous dates they've been on, she still found herself adjusting to prolonged close proximity to people, especially Chakotay. It went against her Borg nature, still ingrained in her despite her break with them so long ago. Seven's hand rested on his cheek, stroking it softly with her thumb. He turned to kiss the palm of her hand. "I'm glad you decided to stay," he murmured. His lips brushed against the sensitive skin, tickling it in the process.

"As am I." Her fingers tangled in his hair, and she pulled him close for a kiss. "Thank you for the invitation." Chakotay nuzzled her neck affectionately, leaving a small trail of kisses along her collarbone. When he found a particularly sensitive spot, she gasped, which quickly turned into a moan of pleasure.

Seven slid her hands along Chakotay's chest, across his shoulders and down the back of his shirt. Her movements felts instinctual. Mentally, she was unaware of her actions, her body simply seemed to know what to do. Chakotay sat up for a moment, just long enough to take off his shirt and throw it to the side. He immediately went back to kissing her neck. As soon as he tried to pull at the collar of Seven's bodysuit to gain more access to her collarbone, he discovered that the outfit was surprisingly durable and held its own. The fabric stretched a little bit but not enough to give him the access he craved. He reached to unzip her, but she immediately grabbed a hold of his wrist and stopped him.

"Before you proceed, I should warn you." Chakotay froze. Never before had he heard her talk like that, and it caught him off guard. The uneasiness from before back, but it was combined with seriousness. It instantly ruined the mood, but he didn't want to do anything that made her feel uncomfortable. "There are quite a few scars. I don't want you to be caught unawares."

"I'm sure you still look gorgeous, no matter how many scars you have."

"You should wait until you see the scars until you pass judgement." Seven sat up. Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached behind her to unzip her bodysuit. The unconscious action wasn't lost on Chakotay. He was tempted to reach out and steady her hand, but he felt that that would make it worse. She got to her feet and turned her back to him as she removed the skintight outfit. The red fabric slowly revealed the smooth, pale skin of her back. It contrasted sharply against the angry red scars that zigzagged along her spine. With one arm hugging her chest for modesty's sake, Seven turned around. She attempted to keep her legs crossed to further hide the most intimate parts of her body. A metal implant gleamed on her hip as a metal spiderweb of sorts spiraled around her slender thigh before disappearing just above her knee.

"You're absolutely stunning," Chakotay assured as he crawled across the bed. Kneeling in front of her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. "And don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I hardly believe anyone's opinions matter. All I care about is what you think." He nuzzled along her jaw affectionately. She ran her fingers along his shoulder.

"Well, I think that you're the most beautiful and intriguing woman I've ever seen in my life." With a sudden burst of confidence that stemmed from Chakotay's compliment, Seven gently pushed him back on the bed. Chuckling, his hand rested on her hip as she moved on top of him.

The constant darkness outside made it difficult to determine how late it was getting. It always looked like it was nighttime in space. Despite the continuous darkness, Seven could tell that it was the middle of the night. Chakotay laid sprawled on his back, snoring softly. The physical activity had worn him out. Insomnia wasn't going to be a problem for him tonight. Unable to resist, Seven ran her fingers over his chest, trailing down to his abdomen before stopping just short of the sheet draped across his waist. Try as she might, sleep simply alluded her. It wasn't a huge surprise to her. The Doctor kept encouraging her to sleep more and regenerate less, but she simply couldn't get on a schedule like everyone else. It would take time, or at least that's what the Doctor kept assuring her. Rather than risk waking Chakotay by tossing and turning, she decided to let him be. As carefully as possible, she climbed out of bed. After experiencing the freedom of not wearing her bodysuit, Seven simply couldn't fathom putting it on. The Doctor had mentioned that she should start shifting away from the bodysuit and towards more conventional clothes; she no longer required it for its healing properties, and tonight seemed like a good time to give that a try.

Seven found Chakotay's shirt on the floor where he had tossed it earlier. It seemed like an acceptable replacement for the time being. As soon as she put on the shirt, she was overwhelmed by the comforting smell she had come to associate with Chakotay: a mixture of sweat combined with aftershave and a certain spiciness that came with the food he constantly ate. Seven buttoned the shirt and silently exited the bedroom, leaving Chakotay fast asleep and none the wiser that he was now alone in bed.

It felt strange and invasive to Seven to be the only one awake in Chakotay's quarters. This also gave her a chance to really look around. Usually when she was here, she was focused on him, not her surroundings. Now that she looked around, she saw all of the small touches Chakotay added to make his quarters seem more like home. Draped across one of the couches was a thick woven blanket that appeared to be from the American Southwest, although Seven knew better; it came from the replicator. On the far wall hung Chakotay's medicine wheel. Intrigued, Seven took a better look. She gently ran her fingers over the tanned animal skin and made a mental note to ask him to explain it to her. The concept of a piece of animal skin and a pile of rocks being able to heal a person both intrigued and confused her. Clearly the best course of action when ill or injured was to see the Doctor. It simply didn't make sense to her. Nevertheless, it was clearly something important to Chakotay, or else it wouldn't be hanging in such a prominent location in his quarters. Apparently he'd had it on his old ship, but very rarely did he talk about his time in the Maquis. While Seven knew what had happened, she still hadn't heard the full story from Chakotay. She figured it would come in due time.

After exploring Chakotay's quarters as much as she felt comfortable without feeling invasive, Seven returned to the bedroom. He was still fast asleep in the same position she'd left him in. As carefully as possible, she slid underneath the blankets and laid down next to him with her head on his chest. His arm instinctively wrapped around her, drawing her close, while her arm slid across his waist. At first, the sensation felt awkward to her, almost forced. After a few minutes, however, Seven found herself starting to relax. Never before had she shared a bed with someone else. The warm body next to her was comforting. Chakotay's chest gently rose and fell. She could hear the steady beating of his heart. The rhythmic beating was oddly relaxing. Despite the fact that she didn't feel tired enough to sleep, Seven felt her eyes growing heavy. It was an odd sensation, falling asleep like this, especially in someone's arms, but it was something she felt she could grow used to.

"All senior officers report to the bridge." The Captain's voice jolted both Chakotay and Seven out of their deep sleeps. It was the longest either of them had continuously slept in ages, and they were both upset to be interrupted. Taking a deep breath, Chakotay stretched his free arm over his head while keeping his other arm tightly around Seven. Whatever was going on on the bridge could wait a few moments while he woke up and enjoyed the company. With one arm still draped across his stomach, she propped herself up on one elbow.

"How did you sleep?" he asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.

"Satisfactory." Seven paused for a few moments until it dawned on her that she should reciprocate the question. "Did you sleep...well?" She had heard other crew members ask that question, and although she thought that judging sleep was highly subjective, it seemed like the best question to ask at the moment.

"I slept much better with you here," Chakotay replied as he rolled onto his side and wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her close. She rested her forehead against his. Suddenly, it dawned on him that she wasn't wearing her usual bodysuit. "Are you wearing my shirt?"

"I hope you don't find it intrusive. I didn't think it would be appropriate to walk around your quarters without any clothes on." A playful smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Not at all. You're always welcome to make yourself at home here." He leaned in to steal a quick kiss, but she turned away.

"The Captain has summoned us to the bridge. We should go." Not wanting to be turned away, Chakotay pecked her lightly on the lips.

"You're right." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. Seven followed his lead and climbed out of bed as well.

Seven shed Chakotay's comfortable shirt and retrieved her bodysuit, which was crumpled on the floor where she'd discarded it. As she pulled it on, she glanced over her shoulder at Chakotay, who dug through his closet for a clean uniform. As he got dressed, Chakotay couldn't help but lament over the early call to the bridge. They still had a few hours before they technically had to be awake and report for duty, and he had rather hoped for a quiet morning together. Rather than get upset about it, however, he knew that there would be plenty of other opportunities for them in the future to spend the morning together, eating breakfast and enjoying each others' company.

 **Author's Note:** It's been about 8 or so years since I've published anything on fanfiction, and I'm so glad to be back! I'm doing my best to update as often as possible, but I have a full time job and am also a grad student. Please be patient! Read and review, this is my first ever Voyager fan fic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Unable to transport out of Chakotay's quarters, Seven had to leave out the front door with him. Usually they were far more careful on their dates, but their options were limited right now. As she entered the corridor, her heart pounded in her chest. If anyone saw her leaving his quarters, especially at this hour, it would certainly cause the rumor mill to start up. This was usually how couples were found out on _Voyager_ , leaving each other's' quarters after a night together. All it took was one person to see them for everyone else to find out. Discretion used to be of the utmost importance in their relationship, but now they were growing comfortable with each other, and with comfort came recklessness. She knew it was only a matter of time until someone figured it out, but right now she wanted to enjoy the secretiveness that their relationship enjoyed. Since nobody knew what was going on between them, they had the freedom to act however they wanted. They could set the pace of their relationship and not worry about what everyone else thought. As soon as the rest of the crew found out about their close relationship, then the stares and whispers would start up all over again. The crew had finally grown accustomed to her presence on _Voyager_ and stopped staring at her. When her relationship with Chakotay finally came out in the open, it would all start up again, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

Chakotay didn't appear to be as nervous about being caught as Seven. It was the middle of the night. Anyone who was awake was at their post, which left them free to move around without fear of being caught. He did have some slight concerns though. While he wasn't worried about the crew finding out, he was worried about the Captain finding out this way. He wanted to tell her with Seven, not have her hear a rumor and confront them. After so many years together on _Voyager_ , her finding out that way seemed like some sort of betrayal. He owed her more than that.

Seven let out a breath of relief and visibly relaxed when she saw that the corridor was completely abandoned. With the exception of the night crew, everyone else was still asleep in their quarters, which left them free to walk down the corridor to the turbolift without anyone seeing them. This gave the two of them the ability to leave his quarters unseen. They were lucky this time. Had she left his quarters at the start of the new shift, then she most certainly would have been seen. In a way, being summoned to the bridge in the middle of the night was a blessing in disguise. Their secret safe, for now. Of course, there was still the minor issue with Harry's visit last night, but Seven wasn't going to worry about that right now. Instead, she was more focused on getting to the turbolift with Chakotay without being seen by any crew members and figuring out what could be so important that the Captain summoned them out of bed in the middle of the night. This was a rare occurrence, so it had to be important.

When Chakotay and Seven got to the turbolift, they were no longer afforded the luxury of being alone. While it had been nice while it lasted, they did enjoy a whole evening of being alone. The turbolift had barely started to move when it slowed to a stop, and Tuvok joined them, although he didn't appear to be in a very social mood, as usual. He simply stared at the doors, waiting for them to open when they got to the bridge. When Seven closely examined him, she realized that he looked tired, as if he hadn't even gone to sleep. Dark circles formed under his eyes, and they had a semi-glazed over appearance. Clearly he hadn't even gone to bed in the first place. It was safe for Seven to assume that he knew whatever was going on that summoned them to the bridge. What confused her was why Tuvok seemed to know but Chakotay didn't. He was First Officer after all. It would be logical for the Captain to confide in him on issues pertaining to the ship, although she did have a close relationship with Tuvok as well. There must be some sort of reasoning behind the Captain's decision. In a way, Seven was grateful that the Captain hadn't summoned Chakotay to the bridge to handle the mysterious issue. Had she done so, their romantic night together would have been cut tragically short.

As the turbolift started up again, Chakotay awkwardly adjusted his uniform while Seven patted her hair to make sure she had pinned it back into place appropriately. To the unknowing eye, they looked like two members of the Senior Staff who had been summoned from their beds in the middle of the night for some sort of mysterious reason. Both carefully calculated their actions to make sure neither of them seemed suspicious. This was especially important around Tuvok, who tended to be more perceptive than other members of the crew. He didn't suspect a thing, or at least as far as Chakotay and Seven could tell. He seemed all around unconcerned with their actions. In fact, he barely acknowledged that he wasn't alone.

At night, the bridge ran on a minimal crew, which meant it was more or less deserted when Chakotay, Seven and Tuvok arrived. Three crew members monitored everything going on on the bridge. One sat at the con while two stood in the background where Tuvok and Harry usually stood. It felt strange to Chakotay see other members of the crew standing there. He was so used to seeing the usual crew members from the day shift working. Very rarely did he ever come on the bridge at night. Usually if he did, it was a Red Alert, and everyone was scrambling to their stations. These precious few hours at night were his only time to unwind from a long, stressful day. It had to be important though, or else the Captain wouldn't have called them here at this hour in the first place.

On the opposite end of the bridge, the door to the briefing room was open, indicating that they were to report there, not to the actual bridge. The light was on and various voices floated across the nearly silent bridge. Normally it was a central hub full of people and noise. It was a nice change of pace. Chakotay could see the appeal that came with working the night shift. Normally he and Kathryn weren't around, which meant they had more freedom and relaxed standards. On the other hand, they were expected to work and make decisions without the input of the Captain and First Officer. In a way, they had more responsibility and pressure than those who worked the day shift. If something went wrong during the day shift, either he or Kathryn were there to make decisions. At night, however, the crew had to decide for themselves if the issue was important enough to wake the Captain. It was far more pressure. It was apparent that the appearance of the First Officer caused quite a stir. As soon as he entered the bridge, everyone stood a little straighter and seemed more serious. It was part of Chakotay's job that he disliked. Everyone thought that they had to be serious around him. While he did report directly to the Captain and had nearly as much authority on _Voyager_ as she did, he also understood that nobody on this ship was perfect. They had complaints, flaws and wanted to be able to relax. While the Senior Staff was capable of relaxing around him and the Captain, other crew members didn't act that way around him. Chakotay nodded at each member of the crew on the bridge.

"Commander," each crew member greeted formally as he crossed the bridge to the briefing room with Tuvok and Seven hot on his heels.

In the briefing room, Harry's knowing gaze wasn't lost one Chakotay as he took a seat next to Kathryn. The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted over, instantly tempting him. While the few hours of sleep he'd gotten were perhaps the best he'd had in weeks, he still felt exhausted. It took everything in his power not to close his eyes and go back to sleep right here. Based on how everyone else around the table looked, he wasn't the only one who felt that way. The coffee was too much to resist. Chakotay got himself a cup before sitting back down. Across the table, Seven caught his eye, but it was a fleeting exchange. As soon as their eyes met, they both quickly glanced away. Both of them knew they had to be careful, especially around the Captain. She could read both of them like a book. All it would take if for one of them to drop their guard for a half a second, and she would pick up on it. Then, it would all be over for them.

With her favorite mug clutched firmly in her hand, Kathryn took a seat to Chakotay's right. They instinctively sat that way, just like they sat on the bridge. Neither of them realized it anymore, it was simply how they sat and usually stood, with him on her left. In the past, they've inadvertently switched positions, with him sitting on her right, but it felt awkward and uncomfortable. They would turn the wrong way to talk to each other and stumble through the most basic of conversations. After making that mistake a handful of times, they silently corrected it whenever they were together. If one happened to be on the designated wrong side, they automatically moved to correct the situation without even realizing it. It was simply how they were. After so many years together leading the crew members of _Voyager_ , Kathryn and Chakotay could work together seamlessly. It was one of the reasons the ship ran so smoothly all the time.

As soon as everyone settled around the large conference table, B'Elanna burst into the briefing room. Her jaw was firmly set, and her body language spoke volumes. Her eyes looked almost wild, and her movement was hasty and erratic. It was clear that she was running on barely any sleep, and she didn't look pleased about being summoned in the middle of the night. As she was a new mother, the lack of sleep and perceived irritability was to be expected, although it was made worse by B'Elanna's already testy personality.

"Tom's on his way," she snapped as she threw herself down on the nearest chair and spun it around to face the Captain. "We'd just gotten Miral to fall asleep when you're announcement woke us up." Not only did she look like she was in a bad mood, she sounded like it as well. Just when everyone thought it was impossible for B'Elanna to be even grouchier, motherhood apparently made that possible. It also brought out her softer side, but that wasn't happening right now. Sympathy flashed across Kathryn's face. She had no way of knowing that, but she still felt bad. She knew Miral kept her parents up at all hours, which was common for all infants. Everyone on board knew that Miral was especially loud. That third Klingon lung really helped her project. It was a miracle Tom and B'Elanna got any sleep at all.

"Normally I'd wait until morning to call you down until morning, but this is important." Kathryn sounded just as exhausted. It was easy to tell that she'd probably been up for several hours, trying to deal with whatever the situation was that caused them to be pulled from their beds in the middle of the night. Chakotay doubted she even went to bed at all. Unfortunately, he knew that it was a lot more common than Kathryn would like to admit. Sleepless nights were a part of the job. She nodded at Tuvok, signaling for him to take over.

"At approximately 2300 hours, we intercepted a distress call. We were able to triangulate its origins on a nearby class M planet, and we altered our course to lend aid," Tuvok explained from his seat on the opposite side of Kathryn.

"Well what does the distress call say?" B'Elanna asked.

"That's part of the problem," Kathryn replied, taking over the conversation from Tuvok. "All we could make out is the word 'help'. When we tried to respond, we were unable to send a return message." That didn't settle well with Chakotay. Normally when they intercept a distress call, they're able to send some sort of message to say that help was on the way.

"There appears to be some sort of interference in the planet's atmosphere that makes it impossible to send a return message," Tuvok explained. "It is probable that that same interference has made it impossible to hear the entire distress call from the planet or use the transporter to help. Tests are being run to see if we can rectify the situation and inform whoever sent the distress call that we are on our way."

"So we don't even know what the entire distress call says," Harry clarified. "And we can't send a return message. We don't know what they need or how we can help." He was saying what everyone else was thinking. None of them liked the sound of this. It just didn't feel right.

"Regardless, it's still a distress call," Kathryn asserted. "And we're going to answer it."

Tom finally joined the Senior Staff. He looked just as exhausted as B'Elanna. He immediately grabbed a cup and filled it to the brim with coffee, hoping the caffeine would be enough to wake him up just a little bit, not that he'd gotten any real sleep in the first place. Coffee in hand, he trailed his fingers along the back of B'Elanna's chair before plunking down next to her. The second he sat down, he thought he was going to fall asleep right then and there. What he wouldn't give for a few hours of blissful, uninterrupted sleep. That was a fantasy that he wouldn't get any time soon though, and he knew it. B'Elanna leaned over and quickly filled her husband in on what he missed. He nodded understandingly. He had the same trepidations that Harry did, although he was too tired to voice them. Harry had spoken his mind, and that was good enough for him.

"Tuvok, I want you, Tom, Harry and Seven to prepare to take a shuttle to the planet as soon as we get close enough," Kathryn directed. While she understood why Harry was hesitant about this away mission, she couldn't in good consciousness ignore the distress call. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if something were to happen and _Voyager_ had been able to lend aid. They had to do what they could to help.

"This is not going to be a typical away mission," Tuvok explained. "The interference created by the atmosphere means we will be out of communication with _Voyager_ for the duration of our mission, which will most likely last several days. We will be on our own for the entire time. We must be prepared for whatever is waiting for us, including bringing supplies to aid whoever."

"You will rendezvous with _Voyager_ in approximately six days," Kathryn added. "That will have to be enough time to help."

"How can we be prepared to help if we don't know what they need?" Tom interjected.

"We are just going to have to bring a little bit of everything and hope we have brought sufficient supplies," Tuvok replied. "Be prepared to depart at 0800 hours." It was currently four in the morning, which meant the away team had four hours to prepare for their mission and make sure they had whatever supplies they needed to help. Once the senior staff was dismissed, they scattered to their respective quarters so the away team could prepare for its mission.

While Seven left to prepare for her away mission in her own quarters, Chakotay returned to his quarters alone. After spending the evening and almost the entire night with Seven keeping him company, his quarters felt unbearably empty. There was something about having Seven here with him that gave this place new life, no matter how serious she acted. After last night, he was hooked. He couldn't wait for their next date. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be for a while with Seven going on this away mission. It was a prestigious away mission, and he was happy for her. On the other hand, he selfishly wished she wasn't going so they could spend more evenings together. It would be alright though. He could survive a few days without her.

No longer feeling tired the least bit tired, Chakotay decided against crawling back in bed. Besides, he had to be up in a few hours to report to the bridge anyway. As soon as he changed, got into bed and managed to fall asleep, he'd only have to wake up again anyway. It wasn't worth the effort. Instead, he replicated a fresh cup of coffee and grabbed the report Harry had dropped off the night before. As he crossed his quarters with his PADD in hand, he glanced over at his bedroom. The sheets and blankets were strewn all over, along with the clothes he had been wearing last night. Memories of last night came flooding back, causing him to smile. Chakotay knew he had to focus. In a few hours, he was expected to be on the bridge and reporting to the Captain. He needed to be ready for that.

As soon as he sat down to read it, however, Chakotay found himself once again distracted with thoughts of Seven and last night. While last night had been a success, it still didn't got the way he planned. Never in his wildest dreams could he ever imagine what had happened, not so quickly after they started dating. It left him feeling confused. Was this a sign that their relationship was moving to the next level? Where did their relationship even stand? These were probably things they should have discussed before having sex, but there had been no time. They both got caught up in the moment, and now it left him feeling confused. He could only assume that Seven was equally as confused, although she was better at hiding her thoughts and emotions. To make matters worse, now they had to wait a few days to talk about it. This away mission couldn't have come at a worse time. There was so much they needed to talk about, but now they would be forced to wait several days. It would be the longest few days of Chakotay's life.

Chakotay banished the thoughts from his mind and instead focused on how wonderful the entire experience had been. It had been too long since he'd shared the company of a woman like that, not since Seska at least. There was something different about Seven though. It was far more tender, more intimate. Now that he got a taste of her, he couldn't get enough. Add to that the feeling of waking up next to a warm body, and he was hooked. Hopefully, this would become a more common phenomenon, although it all depended on Seven's feelings. She had a tendency to overanalyze everything, which could prevent an evening like this from happening again for a while. Chakotay determined that it would be well worth the wait.

At 0700 on the dot, Chakotay appeared in the Captain's ready room. Although they'd just seen each other a few hours earlier, he knew she would want to debrief. It was their usual morning routine. They always met for coffee and went over the plans for the day. Sometimes it only took a few minutes before the conversation shifted to small talk and cordial exchanges. Other times, there was so much for them to talk about, that they spent over an hour discussing everything important for the day. Every day was different. It was something Chakotay looked forward to every morning. Not only did he admire the Captain for her leadership ability in this difficult situation, but he came to regard her as his closest friend. He felt that he could confide in her when it came to anything. The closeness between the two of them definitely helped their working relationship. They were open and honest with each other at all times. Today he had a feeling that there would be no time for personal exchanges though. Given the distress call and the impending departure of the away team, Chakotay had a feeling they had a lot to talk about today.

Waiting in the ready room was a fresh pot of coffee and two mugs, as was their routine. Without waiting for an invitation, Chakotay prepared two cups of coffee, one for him and one for the Captain. After all these years, he knew how she took her coffee without even asking. With both cups of coffee prepared, he took a seat on the couch along the wall below the panoramic window that gave them a view of space. No sooner had he sat down did Kathryn appear and took a seat next to him. He handed her her cup, and she took a long drink.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," Chakotay pointed out. While he had been rather blunt, he was also concerned. It was essential for the Captain to get enough sleep to make sure she made the best decisions possible. When people didn't get enough sleep, they tended to be irrational and reckless.

"You really know how to compliment a woman," Kathryn teased with a laugh. "But no, I didn't sleep at all last night." She eyed him. "How about you?" Memories of waking up next to Seven immediately flooded his mind. He almost came clear right then and there, but he knew Seven wouldn't be happy. This was something they needed to talk to Kathryn about together. For now, he would have to keep this secret to himself, no matter how much he wanted to come clean. It killed him though. He couldn't remember the last time he kept a secret from Kathryn.

"I got a few hours of sleep, but I didn't go back to bed after our meeting this morning. It seemed pointless."

"You need a vacation," Kathryn pointed out.

"I'll take one as soon as you do."

"You're going to be waiting for a while then." Chakotay took a long drink of coffee. This was already his third cup today, although that was hardly surprising. He usually lived on coffee, it was the only thing that kept him going during the day. If he gave it up, he simply wouldn't be able to function.

It didn't take long for the conversation to shift from the usual pleasantries to more important matters, specifically the impending departure of the away team. There was so much for them to talk about in regards to this mission, they couldn't afford any small talk.

"Captain, I do have some hesitations about the away team you've assembled," Chakotay admitted. After so many years together, he knew it was better to come clean and not beat around the bush. In fact, Kathryn seemed to appreciate it more.

"I figured you would," she commented dryly before taking a long drink of coffee. "Okay, Commander, tell me why this mission is a terrible idea," she said with an unamused sigh. The least she could do was listen to her First Officer's hesitations, although she doubted she would change her mind.

"Besides the fact that the away team will be unable to communicate with _Voyager_ , which is highly unsafe and reckless and that we don't know who or what is calling for help, this will be Seven of Nine's longest away mission-"

"Seven is capable of taking care of herself," she assured. "Besides, she has been asking to go on longer away missions for a while now. I think it'll be a chance for her to show what she's capable of." Chakotay still didn't feel satisfied with Seven's safety on this mission. It was only a few days, but there was the communication issue that still made him feel uneasy. If something were to go wrong, there would be no way for any help to be summoned. There were so many things that could go wrong here, and he didn't like it at all.

"This is also Tom's first mission away since Miral's birth," he added. If he just ended the conversation with his fears about Seven's safety, then it might arouse suspicions from Kathryn. "Are you sure he's ready?"

"Tom's more than capable of going on a short away mission, just like B'Elanna is capable of taking care of Miral for a few days on her own. I wouldn't ask this of them unless I thought they were ready." Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. Are you sure this is about Tom and B'Elanna or just about Seven?" Chakotay's heart skipped a beat. He thought he'd been more careful about the subject.

"I just want to make sure the best away team possible is assembled for the mission and that everyone involved will have their heads in the game for the duration." Kathryn wasn't buying it.

Never one to beat around the bush herself, she stated, "I've noticed that you've been spending more time with Seven during your off hours."

"I, I like to spend time with many crew members," Chakotay sputtered. His mind whirled at a million miles a second as he tried to think of a way to talk himself out of this. He was far too tired to deal with this today. "Including Seven of Nine. It builds morale amongst the crew, which is important, especially on such a long journey home." She wasn't buying it. All he had to do was look at her for a second to know that. He didn't blame her, his explanation was pathetic at best. She had her suspicions about her Commander, but before she could pursue the matter, her door beeped, indicating someone was there. "Enter."

Tuvok entered the ready room, which confused Kathryn and Chakotay because he was supposed to leave within the hour on his away mission. There was a lot of preparation that went into this away mission. Not only did each member need to prepare an overnight bag, but basic supplies had to be gathered along with the supplies they thought the senders of the distress call would need. It was a lot of work, and this was the last place Tuvok should be right now. At the moment, however, he didn't look like he was ready to leave.

"Captain. Commander." He nodded politely as he greeted each of his commanding officers.

"Tuvok, I thought you were getting ready to leave," Kathryn said as she got to her feet to refill her coffee. Before walking away, she looked to Chakotay with an inquisitive look, silently asking him if he wanted a refill as well. He handed over his cup. At this point in their relationship, they could have entire conversations together without speaking a word. It was one of the reasons they worked so well together. They instinctively knew what the other needed.

"I was, Captain." Always formal, Tuvok stood with his arms behind his back at attention. "But upon reflection, I realized that I am not the logical choice to lead this away mission." The admission caught both Kathryn and Chakotay off guard. Very rarely, if ever, did Tuvok speak up this way, it went against his Vulcan nature. On the other hand, his mind was controlled by logic. It was why Kathryn relied on his judgement so heavily. Kathryn handed Chakotay his new cup of coffee, which he graciously accepted. "The planet is littered with plasma storms, which will make maneuvering the shuttle significantly more difficult, even with Lieutenant Paris at the helm. There should be a second expert pilot on the shuttle. While I feel that I am a competent pilot, I do feel that Commander Chakotay would be the logical choice for this mission." The admission surprised Chakotay as he took a drink of his coffee. He hadn't been expecting to go on this away mission. He looked to Kathryn, who appeared to be carefully thinking over the suggestion. It made sense. She knew Tuvok was a strong pilot, but Chakotay was even better. With the amount of plasma storms across the planet, it made sense to her.

"I agree." She turned to Chakotay. "Commander, you're to lead the away team." He got to his feet.

"Captain, I-"

"Not now, Commander. You have an away mission to prepare for." Her gaze was firm, but there was a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips and a knowing sparkle in her eyes. She knew. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew and was letting it slide despite the fact that it went against Starfleet regulations. Chakotay sighed. Now wasn't the time to argue with the Captain. It wasn't going to work anyway. Arguing with the Captain rarely if ever worked, so it wasn't even worth the effort.

"Aye, Captain," he relented with a sigh. This wasn't how he saw his day going. He was hoping for an easy day on the bridge and hopefully an early night, although that never happened. Now, he had only a few minutes to prepare for an extended away mission while functioning on almost no sleep.

When Seven appeared in the shuttle bay, the sight of Chakotay preparing for the away mission shocked her. A bag sat at his feet as he read over a report on his PADD. The sight caught her off guard. She expected him to be on the bridge, fulfilling his duties as First Officer. Here he was though. It appeared that he was preparing to leave on the away mission. Her heart fluttered at the prospect of spending more time with Chakotay. The excitement quickly subsided as logic overtook her, and she realized how improper this was.

"Commander," she greeted as she sidled up next to him. Her voice was terse. Chakotay instantly knew that she was displeased. He didn't have to be close with her to know that. Anyone with eyes could tell. "Are you seeing the away team off?"

"No, the Captain has asked me to take Tuvok's place leading the away team," he replied as he put down the report he was reading and went to look over the control panel. He absent mindedly began to press buttons to prepare the shuttle for its impending departure. "They both felt that I would be better suited to guide the shuttle. The planet is riddled with plasma storms. It's not going to be an easy trip." Seven shifted in an attempt to wedge herself between Chakotay and the control panel. This resulted in her body being pressed up against his. The close proximity between wasn't lost on either of them. It took everything in Chakotay's power not to stroke her side or take her by the hand. They were out in the open, they had to be careful.

"Are you sure that's prudent given our relationship?" she questioned softly. His eyes flitted up from the control panel. For a moment, his dark eyes made contact with her enticing grey ones. Normally he would compliment her on how beautiful she was, but right now, he could tell that it wasn't the time or place.

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it against Starfleet regulations to let couples go on away missions together? It is unwise and creates a conflict of interest." Chakotay looked up.

"Technically speaking, neither of us is a member of Starfleet, so we don't have to worry about that," he pointed out.

"You're First Officer of a Starfleet vessel, which makes you a member of Starfleet. Therefore, it is against regulations for both of us to be on an away mission together." Chakotay moved to another control panel. Seven was hot on his heels and attempted to keep him focused on the her and the pressing issue at hand, not whatever was on the control panels. Once again, she attempted to move between him and the panel. He took half a step backwards, but they were still pressed right up against each other as they talked. In the background, the door opened, and Tom and Harry re-entered the shuttle bay after leaving to grab some last minute medical supplies from sickbay. As soon as they saw what seemed like an intimate conversation between Chakotay and Seven, they immediately made a beeline for the shuttle, but it wasn't before they openly stared at the couple for a second longer than necessary. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were standing closer than they should have been. Had they simply been crew members on a ship, they wouldn't have been practically standing on top of each other while exchanging an urgent, hushed conversation. Caught up in their conversation, Chakotay and Seven ignored them.

Chakotay stopped what he was doing and asked, "What _is_ the status of our relationship?" It was something they had never really talked about. The question caught her off guard.

"Well, after ten successful dates and the intimate nature of last night, I would like to think that we are in a committed relationship," Seven replied. Despite her attempt to seem collected, she was obviously flustered. This was something they hadn't yet discussed, and now wasn't the time to talk about it. "Although I haven't been able to conduct more further research with Neelix." With her answer still hanging in the air, Seven turned sharply on her heels and stalked to the shuttle. It took a moment for her words to sink in.

"Wait...Neelix?" Chakotay called as he jogged after her. "Seven, you mean _Neelix_?" He couldn't believe it. All the research she'd carefully done. He never expected it all to come from Neelix. Now that he thought about it, it didn't necessarily surprise him, but it still caught him off guard. It felt strange now that he thought about it. As hard as he'd worked to keep this relationship a secret, Seven was spilling everything to Neelix and getting advice from him.

In the shuttle, Tom sat at the con, preparing for takeoff while Harry stowed away their small bags with their personal effects. Every compartment and available space on this shuttle was filled to the brim with not only the supplies they would need over the course of the next few days but also the supplies they thought they would need to help whoever sent out the distress call. There wasn't an extra inch of space anywhere on board.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Harry asked. He tried to discreetly look out the back of the shuttle to see if he could catch sight of Chakotay and Seven but to no avail. They were standing just out of sight.

"Normally I'd say they're talking about the away mission, but after what you told me last night, my money's on something steamy and sexy," Tom replied.

"You don't know that," Harry commented as he firmly closed the hatch to the compartment holding their bags. He sat down behind Tom. "They could be talking about the mission." Tom spun around in his chair.

"This is why we need to get you a woman, Harry. You've been alone for too long." Harry rolled his eyes. He knew his friend was right though. It had been far too long since he'd been on a date, and the pickings were slim on the ship. Tom had been lucky to find someone compatible in B'Elanna, and apparently now Chakotay was lucky with Seven. If they could find someone special, Harry felt confident that he could as well. Sooner or later he'd find someone, either on _Voyager_ or when they got back to Earth.

Further conversation between Tom and Harry was cut off by Seven boarding the shuttle. She stowed her bag in the same compartment where they had put theirs before making sure her portable regenerator was on board. While she was fine right now, she would need to regenerate in the next day or two. The thought made her nervous. Regeneration was a private affair for her, and the thought of doing it on a strange planet during an away mission slightly unsettled her. Her biggest fear was how Chakotay would react. This would be another big step in their relationship. To her, it was almost more intimate than how they had spent last night. For the duration of her regeneration, she would be completely incapacitated and no use to the away team if something went wrong. Regeneration was necessary though. The Captain ordered her on this away mission, and she couldn't say no. Besides, she had been waiting for a chance to go on an extended away mission for a while now. This was her opportunity to prove her worth to the Captain and the crew. She would adapt. She always did.

Once on board the shuttle, Chakotay took a seat next to Tom. While he technically had seniority over the pilot, the First Officer was perfectly comfortable giving him control over piloting the craft. He was here to offer help if necessary. This flight could go smoothly or be fraught with peril from the plasma storms all across the shuttle closed as the away team prepared for their mission.

"We're going to be gone for a few days, did everyone remember to pack their teddy bears and nightlights?" Chakotay teased as he swiveled his chair around around began to punch several buttons on the panel in front of him.

Before anyone could respond to the sarcastic comment, the Captain's voice came over the comm system, "Janeway to _Shuttle Cochran_. Prepare to disembark."

"Aye, Captain," Chakotay said.

"We'll see you in a few days, Commander." The bay door opened, revealing the never ending expanse that was space. Tom took control of the craft, and it jetted forward into the dark abyss. Chakotay carefully monitored the control panel in front of him and did his best to banish all thoughts of Seven, despite the fact she sat just a few feet behind him. Right now, he needed to focus.

"We'll enter the planet's atmosphere in approximately half an hour, Commander," Tom announced. "Fortunately, the area surrounding the distress call looks like it's free of all plasma storms right now."

"Plasma storms can form quickly," Seven interjected. Her voice reminded Chakotay how close they were sitting to each other. "It would be wise to be prepared, just in case."

"I agree," Chakotay said. "Harry, monitor the conditions near the distress call and its surrounding areas. If it looks like a plasma storm is going to form, I'd rather play it safe and land a few kilometers away. We can walk if necessary."

"Aye, sir." Harry immediately turned his attention to monitoring the weather conditions on the planet as they approached it.

After so many years working together on the bridge, Tom and Chakotay seemed to work in unison as they navigated the shuttle towards the planet. While Tom controlled the shuttle, Chakotay carefully kept an eye on not only the conditions on the planet but also of the shuttle. So far, everything was fine as they began the descent.

"We're about to enter the atmosphere," Tom announced. No sooner did they enter the atmosphere did Harry's console began to beep loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the small vessel.

"Commander, a small plasma storm has just formed directly over the area of the distress signal," he informed.

"Lieutenant, I want you to land as as close to the origins of the distress signal as you can without putting us in danger," he ordered.

"Aye, Sir." Tom scanned the controls in front of him. His brow furrowed as he read the information in front of him. "It's going to be a bumpy ride. I'll do my best to keep it smooth."

"Just land us safety," Chakotay directed.

"Aye, Sir." Seven got to her feet and stood between Tom and Chakotay to get a better view of going on. At the moment, she felt completely useless. Everyone else had a job to complete, and she was just there, waiting for her next orders.

The shuttle began to tremble as it entered the lower atmosphere. Without warning, it jumped and lurched to the forward, nearly knocking everyone out of their seats. Seven stumbled forward so she was standing between Tom and Chakotay. Before the crew could recover, the shuttle jumped to the left, which sent Seven tumbling across Chakotay's lap. For a moment, both of them froze as they tried to figure out the best course of action and how to react. He instinctively took her hand and put his other hand on the small of her back as she scrambled to her feet. Their touch lingered for a second longer than it should have, which wasn't lost on Tom and Harry. Out of respect, they kept any comments to themselves. It was obvious that both of them were flustered.

"I apologize, Commander," Seven said stiffly as she tucked away a strand of hair that had come loose. Chakotay waved off the comment but refused to look at her. Tom had never seen his Commander like this before. He actually looked embarrassed. While it would have been a humiliating experience regardless of Chakotay and Seven's relationship, Tom knew that it was made worse by the fact that they were attempting to seem like there was nothing on between them. It wasn't working though. The faintest hint of a blush crept across Chakotay's cheeks. Luckily, his dark skin helped hide it, but only a little.

The shuttle continued to shake as it broke through the clouds, revealing the desert-like planet below. The land was almost completely flat, the exception of what looked like a small collection of caves in the distance. It didn't look at all hospitable, but there was no denying that there had been a distress call that came from nearby, which was why they were here.

"Land near those caves," Chakotay ordered Tom. The caves would provide the perfect refuge from any plasma storms that popped up while they were here.

"Aye, Sir." Now that they had broken through the clouds, it was smooth sailing. The shuttle came about and settled comfortably in the middle of the desert near the caves. They had arrived, but there was no sign of any people or any distress call as far as the eye could see. They were essentially alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I had to go back and make a very minor change to Chapter Two (if you went back and read it, you probably wouldn't even notice). I had to extend how long the away mission was for the sake of later chapters. It'll all make sense later. I didn't plan too well at first, my apologies.

 **Chapter Three**

With their tricorders in hand, the away team disembarked the shuttle. At first glance, the planet had appeared completely barren from up above, but now that they landed and had a chance to explore more, they realized that that wasn't necessarily true. Dry, low lying shrubs littered the clay-like soil that stretched in all directions around them. Above them, small, puffy clouds provided some semblance of shade, but it was definitely warmer than they were used to. The desert-like planet barely looked like it could sustain life. Yet, someone was definitely here and needed their help or else they wouldn't be here. As soon as he looked around, Chakotay was immediately hit with an overwhelming wave of homesickness. If he didn't know they were millions of lightyears from Earth, he could have sworn he was home. The sensation briefly made him feel sick to his stomach. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in years, and it hit him like a bag of bricks, nearly knocking him over in the process. He hadn't felt this way in years, but there was something about this planet that made him crave going home more than anything else.

As Tom exited the shuttle, he glanced over at Chakotay, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Tom did a double take to make sure what he saw was correct. Sure enough, Chakotay had spaced out as his own thoughts completely consumed him. It wasn't like the First Officer to act like this. When it came to away missions, Chakotay tended to be all business, especially when he was the one in charge. He had to be the one to grab the bull by the horns and give orders. This was something completely out of character for him.

"Commander, are you okay?" he asked. His voice brought Chakotay back to reality.

"I'm fine," he insisted as he squared his shoulders and held his head high. All of a sudden, he went from a man lost in his own thoughts to a man ready to take charge. He quickly banished all thoughts of home from his mind and mentally berated himself for allowing nostalgia to consume him. He needed to be on his top game and focus right now. They were on a rescue mission, and he was the one calling the shots. "Harry, how far are we from the distress signal?" Harry carefully examined the information on his tricorder.

"The last distress call we got was about two and a half kilometers away. It appears that the plasma storm over the region is dispersing. It should be gone by the time we get there."  
"Good. Lead the way, Ensign." Using his tricorder to navigate and monitor their surroundings, Harry took point as he lead the away team in the direction of the distress call. Seven, Tom and Chakotay all fell into step behind Harry with their own tricorders out to examine their surroundings, although there wasn't much to see around here. All around, all they could see was desert. With any luck, their tricorders would pick up more information.

Overhead, the clouds began to disperse as they day stretched on, leaving nothing but unbearable heat. Sweat began to pour down Chakotay's back, leaving him feeling sticky and gross. Starfleet uniforms weren't made to stand such heat, but there was nothing they could do about it but endure the heat and hope they eventually came across some shade. Despite the fact that the heat was near stifling, the fresh air was almost refreshing. The air of _Voyager_ was synthetic, and while it did its job of keeping everyone on board alive, it didn't compare to being outside and in the fresh air. There were so few opportunities for enjoying moments like this. Even when the holodeck tried to replicate fresh air, it just wasn't the same. As much as he loved space, Chakotay missed spending long periods of time outdoors even more. He was determined to enjoy this away mission while he could. It seemed like an easy enough away mission, and the landscape was definitely something he could enjoy. He was grateful that Tuvok had given up this mission and sent him instead. In a way, it was the perfect away mission for him.

The heat continued to grow worse as the day continued, and it began to slow the away team down. None of them were used to the heat, which Seven estimated to be around 35 degrees Celsius. It would have been excruciating heat to deal with in the first place, but it was only made worse by their thick uniforms that they had to keep wearing. Out of fear of overheating, they all began to slow down their pace in hopes that it would cool them off. It should have taken no more than forty five minutes to get to the distress signal, but it took them over an hour instead. They trudged through the unyielding heat, trying to preserve their water while they could. There was no way of knowing when they'd come across fresh water or be able to get back to shuttle to restock supplies. Because of that, they would have to make sure their water lasted all day.

With his eyes still glued to his tricorder, Harry slowed down and eventually stopped. After a few moments, he looked up and whipped his head around to take in their surroundings. The flat desert surrounded them. Harry wiped away the sweat on his forehead and sighed. With the exception of the away team, his tricorder wasn't picking up any signs of life. There had to be someone around here somewhere.

"This is it," he announced. "This is where the distress signal last came from." They all looked around. There was nothing around as far as the eye could see except for the looming desert. While Chakotay first thought the desert was nostalgic, now he found it frustrating. If the distress signal really came from this location, then there should be something here: a lifeform, a ship, some debris, but there was nothing.

"Are you sure?" he demanded. This didn't make any sense. Never before in his career had he come to the aid of a distress signal only to find absolutely nothing there. His tricorder told him that there weren't even signs of any sort of technology around here. There was nothing nearby that could have even given off the signal. If he hadn't seen the coordinates with his own eyes, he would have sworn they were in the wrong place.

"Yes, Sir," Harry affirmed. "Check for yourself." Chakotay hadn't meant to sound like he doubted Harry's conclusions. He knew communication was Harry's area of expertise, and if he said that this was where the signal originated from, then he believed him.

"That doesn't make any sense," Tom blurted out. "There should be something here." He shaded his eyes with his hand in an attempt to see better, but it didn't help. There was absolutely nothing.

"Perhaps the interference in the atmosphere has caused the calculations to be incorrect," Seven suggested. It was the only logical explanation. Even so, their calculations wouldn't be this far off, and there should be some sort of sign of life around here. With the exception of the plants, it looked like a barren wasteland. She typed hurriedly on her own tricorder to adjust the coordinates to account for the interference in the atmosphere. Even with those adjustments, they were still in the right place. This was the exact spot where the distress call had originated from.

"Let's split up," Chakotay directed. "Seven, you and Harry head east while Tom and I go west. Go about a kilometer and a half before looping back. We'll meet back right here." The away team agreed to the plan. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Someone had to have sent out that distress signal, and we're going to find them. Look for footprints, any signs of debris. Even if it seems small and insignificant, it could be the key to figuring out what's going on here." While Chakotay didn't like the away team separating when they didn't know what was going on, he knew it meant that they would be able to cover more ground this way. They were all highly capable of taking care of themselves, something they'd all proven time and time again. An hour or so of being apart wouldn't be the end of the world. Hopefully when covered more ground they would be able to find whoever sent the distress call and help them.

Secretly, Seven had hoped to go with Chakotay, but she knew that that wasn't going to happen. In the past they had been on countless away missions, but things were different now, especially after the intimate nature of last night. Right now, they were in clear violation of Starfleet protocol just by being on the same mission. They would have to put their feelings to the side and act professionally at all times, no matter what happened. When they started exploring their feelings for each other, she had insisted that it never interfere with their professional lives. The two of them going off alone to look for the origins of the distress signal definitely went against her mandate. They had to focus on the task at hand. Besides, if they were to prevent Harry from becoming even more suspicious, they needed to keep their distance from each other. There had been too many close calls already in the past twenty-four hours. They needed to be more careful.

Eyes alert for any signs of life or wreckage, Harry walked alongside Seven. Both of them kept their tricorders out as they scanned the surrounding area. With the help of the tricorders, they should be able to detect any living creatures, but nothing came up on either device. Seven switched between looking at her tricorder and scanning the land around them. Even with the help of her optical implant, she couldn't pick up any signs of life or debris. Harry's tricorder was equally inconclusive. That didn't deter either of them from looking though. They were sent here with a task, and if there was any sign of life, they would certainly find it. Somewhere out there, someone needed their help. They were desperate enough to send a distress signal out into the oblivion that was space without knowing who would show up to help them. Seven could conclude that whoever sent out the distress call was desperate, but she had to admit that it baffled her that they weren't here awaiting their assistance. She knew that if _Voyager_ had sent out such a desperate distress call, it would have stayed right there and waited for help.

As they searched, Seven tried to think of something to say to Harry. A certain uneasiness had settled over them. Not only did the discomfort stem from their inability to find whoever sent out the distress call, but she hypothesized that it came from his unexpected visit to Chakotay's quarters the previous evening. It would be foolish to ignore the discomfort, but she was unsure what to say to him. Her mind whirled as she tried to think of what to say. She needed to address Harry's visit last night, but she also knew she needed to be tactful about it. She knew she had a habit of being too blunt, or at least that's what Chakotay and the Doctor told her. In an effort to curb that problem, she knew she had to be careful not only about what she said but how she said it. Once it came to her, however, she found another problem. She didn't know how to bring the subject up. They were both walking in silence and trying to concentrate on their tricorders. It seemed almost wrong to break the silence, but she knew it was necessary. This may be their only chance alone to discuss the matter.

Seven finally blurted out, "Harry, I would like to thank you for your...discretion after your unexpected visit to Commander Chakotay's quarters last night." Seven mentally berated herself. So much for being sensitive about bringing this up. Caught off guard, Harry stumbled over a rock and nearly fell and dropped his tricorder. Thankfully, at the last moment he caught his balance and didn't drop the machine in his hand. He coughed uncomfortably and tried to think of something to say.

"I, uhh, umm," he stammered as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, which he instantly regretted, as now his hand was covered with a layer of sweat that he wiped off on his pants. "When I came by, it just looked like two officers enjoying a home cooked meal." Confusion flashed across Seven's face. That isn't what happened. He'd clearly seen everything, and it wouldn't be hard for him to draw his own conclusions. Anyone with eyes could have figured out what was going on. Suddenly, it dawned on her. Harry was saying that he understood the intimate nature of what he'd walked in on and was going to keep it to himself. She had no way of knowing that he already told Tom, and he had no intention of telling her. It was obvious that this was already a stressful experience for her, and he didn't want to make it worse.

"I appreciate your handling of this delicate situation," she stated with a curt nod. Despite the fact that she was thanking him, Seven sounded formal and almost unappreciative. She was grateful though. As long as Harry kept things under wraps, she and Chakotay would be able to proceed with their relationship as they originally planned. Not that they really had a plan to begin with. At least now, rumors would not spread like wildfire across the ship. For the moment, they had dodge a bullet.

Just like Harry and Seven, Tom and Chakotay were having no luck finding any sort of signs of life or the origins of the distress call. The unrelenting sun beat down on them, making each step feel like torture. They both did their best to make it seem like they were fine. Tom continuously wiped away the sweat from his brown with his sleeve. Mentally, he cursed these Starfleet uniforms. While they definitely had their perks in cooler environments, he felt like he was being boiled alive right now.

"This doesn't make any sense," Chakotay muttered as he glared at his tricorder. His voice temporary chased away all of Tom's thoughts and mental complaints about the heat. Chakotay felt his frustration level rising. "There should be some sign here. Even if it's not the origins of the distress signal, there should be some signs; footprints or something."

"There's no sign of anything, Commander," Tom said, although he knew he was just pointing out the obvious. "Sensors aren't picking up any signs of life or any technology that could have given off the distress call." He looked up in surprise. "There's no way a distress call could have been sent out." As much as he hated to admit it, Chakotay knew Tom was right. There would be some sort of sign somewhere around here had the distress call been sent out from here. There was nothing though, and that unnerved him the most. It would appear that someone went through great lengths to destroy all evidence of life in the vicinity, as if they didn't want to be found. If they didn't want to be found, though, why would they send out the distress call in the first place? Neither man could figure out the logic behind this.

When Seven and Harry hit the one and a half kilometer mark, they began to alter their course to return to the rendezvous location. Rather than double back on their tracks, they formed a large arc in an attempt to cover more ground with the hopes of finding whoever sent out that distress call. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't find a single sign of life or the distress call. When they returned to the rendezvous location, they found Chakotay and Tom already waiting for them. Based on the dejected and frustrated expressions on their faces, it was easy to conclude that they hadn't found anything either.

"Were you successful?" Seven asked as she and Harry joined them. The team stood in a tight circle to discuss what they had discovered.

"No." Chakotay's voice had an edge to it. Seven didn't need to be familiar with Chakotay and his usual mannerisms to know that he was angry with their current situation. "How about you?"

"We found no signs of life or the origins of the distress call," Seven replied.

"If I hadn't heard the distress call for myself, I'd say that it was impossible for it to exist," Tom added. "There should be some sort of sign around here."

"What are you implying?" Seven asked. Letting out a sigh, Tom shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I'm just thinking aloud." He had no idea what to make of this situation. In an attempt to take the attention off of him, he turned to Chakotay. "Commander, what do you think?" Unfortunately, Chakotay seemed just as lost and confused as the rest of his team.

"I don't know, but I'd like to get to the bottom of it. Clearly, someone was in trouble if they sent out a distress call. And until we're told otherwise, we are going to treat this mission accordingly." Despite his assurances, he had no idea how to proceed. Never before had he encountered something like this on an away mission. Normally it was pretty straight forward when they arrived as to what the problem was. Even if they couldn't figure it out right away, there were still signs as to where the call came from and how they could help. Here, there wasn't anything for them to work with. Essentially they were working blind.

Chakotay's mind whirled at a millions miles a minute as he attempted to think of their next steps. Right now, their main priority was to find the origins of the distress call and lend aid in whatever way was necessary. Despite the fact that they had been unsuccessful so far, he wasn't ready to throw in the towel quite yet. The day was still young. Besides, they had only covered a very small fraction of the surrounding area. He would hate to return to _Voyager_ only to find out that if they had looked just a little harder then they would have found who needed help. It would mean that they had failed such a simple away mission.

"Let's fan out again," he finally decided. "This time, we'll meet back at the shuttle at 1800 hours to make camp for the night. If you come across any signs of life or the distress call, call for help right away. Understood?" A chorus of "Yes, Sir"s and "Aye, Commander"s went up as the away team agreed to the new directions. "Tom, you'll come with me. Seven, Harry, we'll see you back at the shuttle." Seven and Harry turned to leave. Chakotay's gaze lingered on her for a second or two before he realized that he was staring. If they were going to be successful in finding this distress call, they needed to get going.

Not only did the day seem to drag on and on for Harry, the environment around was starting to all look the same. All he saw when he looked around was flat land littered with dry, dead looking plants. The sky stretched above them in all directions. It was the epitome of big sky country here. It was enough to drive anyone crazy. Between the never ending expanse that stretched out in all directions around them and the fact that they still had no luck finding any signs of life or the distress call, Harry was starting to feel restless.

"There's nothing here," he snapped. "We might as well turn back."

"I concur. If we are going to make it back to the shuttle on time, then we should head back." It was like music to Harry's ears. That was the best news he'd heard since leaving _Voyager_. He put away his tricorder and started walking in the direction of the shuttle. Seven kept her tricorder out as she continued to scan for life signs. He felt that she was grasping at straws. He didn't tell her that though. She was always by the book, and he knew she would continue to scan for signs of life until they got back to the shuttle. It was how she was. Free of his tricorder, Harry carelessly swung his hands at his side as he fell into step next to Seven.

"I hope Chakotay and Tom were more successful."

"I fail to see what hope has to do with anything," Seven commented dryly. Harry sighed. He should have just kept his mouth shut. He should have expected such a comment out of her. When he thought about it, he couldn't figure out what Chakotay saw in her. At first blush, she was definitely a bombshell, but she still apparently struggled with basic human interactions. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what they did together, although based on his experience last night, it involved something with water, which only added to his curiosity and confusion. Everything about Seven felt confusing to him.

"Let's just head back to the shuttle," Harry muttered. It had been a long day, and he was tired. The prospect of making camp for the night definitely sounded appealing to him. While it wouldn't be as comfortable as his bed back on _Voyager_ , it was definitely better than aimlessly wandering around the desert. With any hope, nightfall would also bring about a significant drop in temperature. One could only dream.

Having just as much luck as Seven and Harry, or lack thereof, Chakotay and Tom were heading back towards the shuttle to make camp. In the back of his mind, Tom wondered if they should just head back to _Voyager_ and tell the Captain that they tried their best. If someone here really did need their help, you would think that they would be waiting right where they sent the message from, anxiously awaiting help. Tom kept his eyes glued to his tricorder as they walked. There was still no signs of any life nearby, but something did catch his attention.

"Commander." Chakotay stopped walking and turned around. For a fleeting moment, he thought that Tom's tricorder had finally picked up whoever sent out the distress call. It was the most hopeful he'd felt in hours. When he saw Tom's face, however, he knew that that wasn't the case. "I'm picking up signs of water about half a kilometer due east." While stopping to get water would make them late to the rendezvous at the shuttle, he knew that water was important. There was water on the shuttle, but if they could find some on the planet, that would be better. It would allow them to save the water to give to whoever sent out that distress call, if they ever found them that is.

"Lead the way," he consented. They could be late to the shuttle, it wasn't the end of the world. Besides, the water would help them cool off under the torturous heat. If anything, it would be irresponsible not to stop.

A small spring bubbled excitedly from beneath the clay ground. It was tucked in a small collection of rocks, which formed a sort of bowl for the water sit in. Had they not been looking for it, they would have never found it. It seemed out of place in the middle of the desert, but neither Chakotay nor Tom were complaining. They were both covered in sweat and dust from searching the desert all day. Unable to resist, both shed their heavy uniform shirts and long sleeved grey undershirts, revealing much lighter t-shirts underneath. Chakotay took it one step further and removed that shirt as well. Sweat plastered the fabric to his torso like a second skin. As soon as he removed it, he felt significantly better. The faint breeze he'd been unable to previously detect under all those thick layers trickled across his flesh, instantly cooling him down. Sighing contently, he crouched down on his hunches next to the water, cupped his hands in the water and poured it over the back of his neck. Tom scanned the water and determined it was safe to drink before dipping his hand into the clear liquid and bringing it to his lips. Feeling significantly cooler, Chakotay cupped his hands in the water again, this time bringing it to his lips. The water was cool and sweet and tasted like heaven.

"We should fill one of our canteens with water to bring back," he suggested. Tom wasn't paying attention. Having drank his fill of water as well, the lieutenant was carefully scanning a nearby bush with his tricorder. "What is it?" Chakotay asked as he got to his feet and stood over Tom.

"There's some sort of fruit," Tom replied. He plucked one off the bush. About the size of a walnut, the fruit was a deep earthy green with smooth skin. It hung in small bunches scattered throughout the dry, almost dead looking bush. This landscape had previously appeared uninhabitable. Like most deserts, however, there was plenty here to help a person survive, if you knew how to look. Tentatively, Tom brought it to his lips and took a small bite. Almost immediately, his face scrunched up with disgust. Unable to resist, he spit it out. This caused Chakotay to laugh.

"What, doesn't meet your high culinary standards?" he teased.

"The skin is bitter," Tom replied. He carefully peeled off the skin with his fingernail, revealing the deep red flesh underneath. Once enough had been removed, he took another bite. This time, he didn't make a face. Without the skin, the fruit tasted sweet and refreshing. It almost melted in his mouth. "Here, try one." He plucked another one off the bush and tossed it to Chakotay, who caught it with ease. "Just don't eat the skin."

"Oh trust me, I'm not going to make that mistake." He produced a knife and sliced open the fruit with a flick of his wrist. Red juice flowed freely down his hand as he took a bite. It definitely tasted better than the rations waiting for them back at camp and most of the food on _Voyager_. It would be smart to supplement the food they already had with this fruit. Chakotay ate the entire fruit and carelessly tossed the bitter skin to the ground. "Fill up your canteen with the fruit while I get us some water to take back to camp. We need to get going or else we're going to be making camp in the dark."

"Aye, Commander." Tom removed his canteen and began to fill it with as much fruit as he could. He was glad he found this fruit. The rations on the shuttle were disgusting, and at least now they had something with flavor that they could eat. It would also stretch their rations further.

By the time Chakotay and Tom arrived back at the shuttle, Seven and Harry were already there. Seven stood outside the shuttle, which stood open. In her hand was her PADD, which she analyzed with extreme dedication to see if there was any information about this planet in their database. So far, she was unsuccessful. While the planet did appear on all the star charts she came across, there was no information about the planet or who lived on it. Even her Borg knowledge couldn't help her here. The Collective had never encountered this planet or whoever lived here. Of course, it was possible that whoever inhabited the planet recently settled here. There should be some sort of record though, but she couldn't find anything.

"What did you find?" Chakotay asked.

"Negative," Seven replied formally without looking up from her PADD. "There are no traces of life or anything that could have sent the distress call. Additionally, there is no information in any records nor anything known to the Borg Collective."

"So when you say nothing, you really mean nothing," Tom commented.

"Of course that is what I meant. I always say what I mean." Tom sighed. He at least hoped that Seven would be able to find something. She was the most knowledgeable about this area, so if she didn't know what was going on, it was definitely a bad sign.

Inside the shuttle, Harry dug around in search of the equipment they needed to set up camp. There was a small pile of supplies near the hatch to the shuttle, but he was still missing some important equipment. Try as he might, he simply couldn't find the tents. They were supposed to be stashed away in their designated compartment. It was one of the reasons Harry enjoyed _Voyager_ and Starfleet so much, everything always had a place, and when you needed something, you always knew exactly where to find it. He didn't even need to think about it, he simply needed to open the compartment, and there would be whatever he needed. This time, however, that wasn't the case. The tents weren't where they were supposed to be. When Harry didn't find the tents where they were supposed to be, he began to search elsewhere in the shuttle. While it seemed unlikely, he thought that perhaps Tom had accidentally put the tents in the wrong place. He knew the Lieutenant was living in a constant state of exhaustion, courtesy of his infant daughter. In the back of his mind, Harry knew that that was impossible, Tom always kept the shuttle well-stocked and impeccably organized no matter how tired he may be, which was shocking giving the fact that his quarters were usually a mess. Tom wouldn't have messed up something like this. There was only so much space in the small craft to store things. Each compartment and drawer Harry opened revealed no tents. They were undoubtedly gone.

When Harry heard Tom's voice outside the shuttle, he called out, "Tom, where did you put the tents?" He saw Tom carry the tents onto the shuttle as they prepared to depart with his own eyes, but he didn't know where he put them. Now that Tom had returned, he could at least put an end to this mystery, and they could start making camp.

"The same place they always are," Tom replied as he entered the shuttle. This shouldn't be so hard. Tents were always stored in the same place, regardless of what shuttle they used or who was on the away team, and that is exactly where he put the tents when he prepped the shuttle.

"Well, they're not there."

"What do you mean they're not there?"

"Exactly what I said. They're not there. The tents are gone." Tom sighed with frustration and clenched his jaw while he tried to think of a plausible explanation.

"Well I put them where they're supposed to." Figuring Harry wasn't looking hard enough or in the right place, Tom yanked open the hatch to the compartment he'd put the tents in. In all honesty, he fully expected to find the tents right there. He was already thinking of the snide remark he'd say to Harry for being so reckless and not looking hard enough. When Tom opened the compartment, he was surprised to see that the tents weren't there. The expression on his face spoke volumes.

"You want to tell me again the tents are right where they're supposed to be?" Harry asked smugly as he crossed his arms over his chest. Tom spun around.

"I put them right there!" he exclaimed. "That's where the tents are supposed to go, and that's where I put them. You better not be playing a prank on me, Harry, because after the long day I've had, I'm not in the mood." Harry rolled his eyes. He was just as tired as Tom, and if he wanted to pull a prank on Tom, he wouldn't do it like this. Besides, an away mission wasn't the time or place to pull a stunt like that. He saved moments like that for his down time on _Voyager_ , where he had B'Elanna to help him.

While Tom and Harry bickered about where the tents could have gone, Seven and Chakotay both examined the inconclusive results from their search for the distress call. She returned her PADD to her canteen. She could stare at the information all day, but it wouldn't change the fact that there was nothing for her to see. There was no information about what was going on here. She had something else to talk to Chakotay about anyway.

"Commander, may I speak to you in private?" she requested politely. Surprised, Chakotay looked up from his tricorder. After the mishap on the shuttle that morning and with Harry the night before, he got the distinct feeling that Seven was trying to put some distance between them to prevent any suspicions from Harry and Tom.

"Of course." He gestured towards the expanse of desert that surrounded them, indicating that they should take a short walk away from the shuttle so they could talk without the prying ears of Harry and Tom, although they appeared to be in their own little world right now. One look at Seven's face was all Chakotay needed to know that something was bothering her. He knew her well enough at this point. The way her brow furrowed and how her lips were pressed into a fine line spoke volumes. He could read her like a book.

As they walked away, Chakotay couldn't help but brush his fingers along the small of Seven's back. It was a fleeting touch, something both of them barely felt, but it still sent shockwaves through them. As soon as he touched her back, he dropped his hand. He knew that that had been wildly inappropriate. They were on an away mission, and he had to honor her request that their personal relationship not interfere with their professional responsibilities. It had been a subconscious touch though, something he didn't even realize he was doing until it was done. He'd done it in the privacy of his quarters a million times, but he knew here wasn't the time or place for such actions.

"What's wrong?" he asked once they were far enough away from the shuttle to have a private conversation.

"I have been carefully contemplating the sleeping arrangements for this away mission." Slightly amused, Chakotay raised an eyebrow with intrigue and curiosity. He managed to hide his smile, as he didn't think Seven would find this particularly amusing. With everything going on, the sleeping arrangements had been the furthest thing from his mind. He was far more concerned with finding whoever sent out that distress call. Her mind worked differently though, and he knew he shouldn't be surprised that she had already carefully analyzed the possible sleeping arrangements for the night.

"Oh really?" Seven nodded curtly. He could think of a sleeping arrangement that would make him feel very pleased, but he knew better than suggest it. There was no way Seven would agree to it. It would be smart just to keep it to himself. Even if he suggested it as a joke, he knew she wouldn't find it amusing.

"Affirmative. I think it would be prudent that you and I do not share a tent. It would only cause Ensign Kim to become more suspicious of our relationship, which would be unwise."

"I agree." Chakotay paused for a moment as he tried to think of a plausible solution to the problem. "You know, the tents are big enough that Harry, Tom and I can share one tent, and you can have a tent to yourself." It would be a tight fit, but they would make it work. They'd slept in more confined conditions in the past. She shook her head.

"I hardly think that that would be necessary. There is no need for me to have a tent to myself. I can share a tent with Lieutenant Paris or Ensign Kim."

"Oh I'm sure B'Elanna would love it if you shared a tent with your husband," he commented sarcastically with a roll of his eyes and small laugh. He knew better than to get B'Elanna angry, and one sure-fire way to do that would be to put Tom in a tent for several nights with Seven. The sarcasm was lost on her.

"If you do not think Lieutenant Paris would be a sufficient tent-mate, then I can share a tent with Ensign Kim," she suggested. Chakotay wasn't exactly thrilled with that sleeping arrangement either. It was no secret that Harry had had a huge crush on Seven when she first joined _Voyager_. While that had been several years ago, he still didn't like the idea of the two of them sharing a tent. Unfortunately, there was no way to win in this situation. Seven was the only woman on an away mission, and since she refused to share a tent with him or have a tent to herself, she would have to share a tent with either Tom or Harry. It was only for a few nights, and Chakotay knew nothing would happen, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't like this situation very much.

"Yes, but given your unusual sleep habits and the fact that you will need to regenerate, wouldn't you rather do that in private?" There was a hint of desperation in his voice as he tried to think of some reason for Seven to have a tent to herself. They stopped walking.

"Are you jealous?" she asked as she turned to face him properly. He scoffed. There was no way he was jealous. He was simply thinking about her comfort on this away mission. Here she was, surrounded by men on an extended away mission, and he wanted to make sure her needs were taken care of. Of course, he felt the same way about Harry and Tom's comfort, or at least that's what he told himself.

"No," Chakotay quickly assured. Seven wasn't buying it for a second. She looked skeptical. For a fraction of a second, amusement also flashed across her face. This only made him more flustered as he tried to think of a way to regain his composure. There was no fooling her. He sighed. "Okay, maybe just a little bit," he relented begrudgingly. His fingers brushed along her arm for a split second. As soon as he did, he remembered where they were and the fact that they had to act professionally. "But I also want to make sure you're comfortable."

"It is not my intent to make you jealous, but I do find the notion flattering. I do not think it necessary to have a tent to myself. I am sure it will be fine. It is only for a few nights." Chakotay knew it was going to be fine, but that didn't make him feel any better about the situation. Despite their distance from the shuttle, she dropped her voice. "Besides, I am starting to see the benefits of sharing quarters with someone else." A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She was flirting with him, and it made his heart flutter with excitement and flattery. It also left Chakotay feeling even more flustered, but he also found it highly amusing. It was the human side of her that she very rarely showed to others.

"Well, it's my hope that these sleeping arrangements are vastly different."

"I assure you that they are, Commander."

"Commander!" Tom's voice caught both of their attention. Just like that, the flirtatious moment they were sharing was gone. Completely caught up in the moment, he hadn't realized how far away from the shuttle they'd walked. "We have a problem."

"Harry and I searched the entire shuttle, the tents are gone," Tom explained to Chakotay. The foursome stood clustered around the entrance to the shuttle trying to figure out what was going on here. Tom motioned helplessly in the direction of the compartment where he knew he had put the tents. Just like Harry, he'd torn apart the entire shuttle, but the tents weren't there. "I put them on board myself, Sir. I can't explain it." Sighing, Chakotay pinched the bridge of his nose with frustration. This was supposed to be an easy away mission, but it was starting to get more and more difficult. Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, they did.

"I believe you," he assured. After all these years, he knew that Tom could properly prepare for an away mission. There was no reason to doubt his claim. "I'm not going to get bent out of shape over some missing tents though, we have more pressing matters on this mission."

"But what are we going to do for camp?" Tom asked. Frustration filled his voice. He was angry with himself for somehow losing the tents. He knew he'd put them on the shuttle. It was impossible for them to just disappear like this.

"As long as no more plasma storms appear, we should be fine," Chakotay replied.

"The caves should provide adequate protection," Seven added. "I would suggest that we make camp close to them just in case."

"I agree. We'll make camp for the night near the caves. Grab what you need off the shuttle, and let's get started." With his orders still hanging in the air, Chakotay boarded the shuttle to grab his bag.

"Wait, so we're going to just sleep under the stars?" Harry spluttered as he scrambled after Chakotay. His voice spoke volumes about his feelings about this. It hadn't been intention to sound insubordinate, he just couldn't believe that everyone else here was fine with sleeping out in the open. It seemed dangerous. Seven and Tom followed the rest of the away team into the shuttle to grab their possessions as well.

"Come on, Harry, where's your sense of adventure?" Tom teased as he clapped his best friend on the back and handed him his bag.

"I lost it after dragging myself all over this damn desert searching for whoever called us here," Harry replied bitterly as he snatched his bag and stalked off in the direction of the caves. Never one to rough it, the idea of sleeping under the stars didn't appeal to him at all.

 **Author's Note:** Make sure to hit that magical little review button on the bottom!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** So I planned the story out, I'm looking at around 27 chapters, but that could change. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Without further adieu, I give you chapter four.

 **Chapter Four**

The sun overhead began to slowly descend below the horizon. As the light slowly faded away, Chakotay hunkered down in front of a small pile of wood and brush as he attempted to start a fire. Having been at it for nearly five minutes, he could feel himself starting to grow frustrated with the lack of a fire. While the wood they collected was dry enough to start a fire, it simply wouldn't take for some reason. There was something about the makeup of this wood that made it more difficult to get a fire started. Muttering under his breath, he continued to try to get the fire started. It was starting to get dark, and with darkness came a drop in temperature. There was no way to tell how cold it was going to get tonight, the desert could be unpredictable at night. It could be pleasant and cool, or it could be freezing. Erring on the side of caution, he wanted to get a fire started. Unfortunately, this wood simply wouldn't cooperate with him.

As Tom and Harry left to gather more fruit and water for the night, Seven crouched down next to Chakotay. She could see him clenching his jaw and furrowing his brow in frustration. She knew he was one of the strongest crewmen when it came to survival skills, but she could see that he was struggling here. While she knew her survival skills were severely lacking, the least she could do was offer her assistance. When they got back to _Voyager_ , she would have to study survival skills more in her down time.

"Do you require assistance?" she offered gently so as to not to harm his ego.

"No," he snapped. "I can get this fire started on my own." Chakotay immediately began to mentally berate himself. He was frustrated with himself, he shouldn't take it out on Seven, who was going out of her way to help him. He felt he should be able to do something as simple as start a fire without help from anyone else. It would appear that hsi fire starting skills were still as poor as when the Kazons had stranded them so many years ago. He knew there was a lighter somewhere on the shuttle, but it had been inadvertently left behind. Rather than go back, Chakotay thought he would be able to start a fire without it. Apparently he was wrong.

"You appear to be struggling. Please allow me to assist you," she insisted. In a momentary lapse of judgement, she put her hands over his to get him to stop. Electricity seemed to surge through their bodies from that small touch. The faintest hint of a blush crept across his cheeks. "That was improper," Seven stammered. "I apologize."

"Don't apologize. I can handle this." All of a sudden, his voice went from short and agitated to low and almost husky with desire. The change in tone wasn't lost on Seven, but she ignored it. This wasn't the place to get wrapped up in her emotions. They had more important things to focus on. She mentally chastised herself for overstepping her boundary. As if on cue, a faint wisp of smoke began to curl up from the small pile of tinder. A victorious smile spread across Chakotay's face. From this close proximity, Seven could see the dimples on his cheeks. Her heart fluttered at the sight. The dimples combined with the pride on his face made him all the more attractive to her. For a moment, she was tempted to kiss one of those dimples. It would be a quick, fleeting kiss that both of would hardly register. The realization startled her. This was the last place her romantic attraction towards the First Officer should pop up.

"Excuse me," she muttered as she stood up abruptly. Her sudden departure caught Chakotay off guard. Rather than follow her, however, he continued to tend the growing fire. He'd felt the same jolt of electricity between them as she worked next to him, and he also struggled to ignore it. Some distance between them was necessary in order to keep their feelings under wraps. Perhaps coming on this away mission was a terrible mistake. It was a long time for them to be working side by side while trying to keep their feelings for each other in check.

Oblivious to the moment Chakotay and Seven had just shared, Harry and Tom appeared at the campsite with a collection of rations for the night, along with the canteens filled with water and the mysterious unnamed fruit they had discovered. Chakotay kept himself busy by adding more fuel to the fire while they carefully dumped the rations on the ground. Satisfied with the fire that leapt up excitedly from the ground, Chakotay stood and brushed his hands along his pants in an attempt to clean them off.

"So for tonight's meal, we have a healthy dose of replicated rations combined with some sort of weird fruit we found while trying to hunt down the distress signal today," Tom announced proudly. "And although the rations taste like shit, they're a significant improvement over the cooking on _Voyager_." Chakotay rolled his eyes. While the food on _Voyager_ wasn't exactly the best, it could be a lot worse. There were days where he thought the food was highly questionable and tasted strange, but it did its job of keeping everyone full and healthy.

"It could be worse," he pointed out. "We could be eating some leola root stew." A collective groan traveled around the campfire as each person realized that it really could be a lot worse. They would be more than willing to suffer through a few days of rations and this strange fruit as long as it meant they didn't have to eat any leola root.

As the away team sat around the fire, the temperature began to drop much quicker. At first, it was a gradual decline in temperature, then it seemed to hit all at once. With the help of the roaring fire Chakotay built, however, they barely noticed. Instead, they sat in a tight circle around the fire and each opened a ration packet. Cognisant of her every move and how it might be perceived by the rest of the away team, Seven elected to sit directly across from Chakotay. She figured that sitting as far away from him as possible while still sitting in the circle around the fire would be her best bet to ward off any rumors from Tom and Harry. On the other hand, this gave her the opportunity to look directly at him whenever she looked up from her meal. He was directly in her line of sight. Perhaps she should have sat next to him instead. Based on her mental calculations, there was no way to win this situation. Either she could have sat next to him and caused Tom and Harry to grow suspicious or sat across from him and try not to stare at him every time she looked up. Seven knew what Chakotay would tell her to stop overthinking things and enjoy her small meal, that there was no reason for her to be thinking so much about where she sat around the campfire, nobody was noticing anyway. He was always more laid back than her, at least when it came to most things. It was one of the reasons she enjoyed spending time with him. They balanced each other out perfectly.

The mysterious fruit found by Chakotay and Tom helped balance out the dry, nearly flavorless rations. It added some flavor to the meal. Chakotay made sure to put some of the seeds in his canteen. With any luck, they would be able to grow this in the hydroponics bay. He had a feeling that the crew would become quite fond of this fruit. It would also be nice to change things up a little bit. They were all starting to get tired of the same fruits and vegetables being available at every meal, especially leola root, although he knew that that wasn't going anywhere any time soon. The rations weren't as bad as Tom made them out to be, but it would get very old eating those all day, every day for the next several days until the rendezvous with _Voyager_. It reminded Chakotay of when they first got to the Delta Quadrant, before the hydroponics bay was up and running and before they got the replicators working again, and all they ate was rations. The fruit was exactly what they needed. With the help of the fruit, they may be able to survive without going crazy from eating the same thing all the time.

Not only was the fruit perfect for supplementing the pathetic ration bars, but when Harry carelessly tossed one of the discarded skins into the fire, he discovered that it was the perfect fuel. Tom followed his best friend's lead and tossed the small pile of skins in front of him into the fire as well. The fire immediately jumped to life, nearly doubling in size and producing a surprisingly bright, albeit not very warm flame. The previously orange and yellow flames flashed blue and green. Just as quickly as the unusual colors appeared, they faded away as the fire shrank back down to its original size. Each member of the away team had seen the change in colors but none of them were sure they saw it, so they kept their thoughts to themselves. It was a brief, beautiful phenomenon that temporarily distracted them from the failure of finding the origins of the distress call. With any luck, they would be more successful tomorrow.

Having eaten his fill of rations and fruit, Chakotay groaned and laid back on the cold, hard ground with his arms folded under his head as a makeshift pillow. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but he ignored the discomfort as he enjoyed the view above him. The sky stretched out above him endlessly in all directions. As the sun went down, it painted the sky with vivid reds, oranges and yellows. It looked like one of the Captain's paintings she kept stowed around her quarters from years of artistic release. Chakotay kept the observation about the view to himself and instead just enjoyed it while trying to force his body to relax. It was easier said than done as his mind attempted to think of the next steps. Tomorrow they would need to set out again in search of the distress call. Try as he might, Chakotay found that he couldn't focus on the plan for tomorrow, instead being distracted by the view. Most people would kill for a view like this. A comfortable silence fell over the the away team as they enjoyed the view and let the food settle. After a long day of exploring in the stifling heat and the growing frustration of finding absolutely no signs of the distress call or whoever sent it, they were all starting to feel exhausted despite the early hour.

After letting his food digest, Chakotay sat up. The temperature continued to drop rapidly, and he knew he had to tend to the fire. He threw a few more dry branches from a nearby bush onto the shrinking flames, which leapt to life and immediately started to warm them all up. Just as he figured, it was going to be a cold evening. They'd suffered through colder conditions, but it was still going to be rough.

"Tomorrow we must find whoever sent that distress call," he ordered.

"It's not like we weren't trying," Tom commented dryly. He hadn't meant to sound insubordinate, but he was frustrated about the lack of results today. Based on everyone else's faces, he could tell that they were frustrated as well.

"Based on my calculations, we covered approximately twelve square kilometers today," Seven added. "We would have come across some sort of sign of the distress call." Her comments surprised everyone. They thought she would be the last one to complain about the lack of results. While she may not always want to follow orders, this seemed out of character for her.

"Tomorrow we'll expand our search. Whoever sent the distress call is out there waiting for our help. As members of Starfleet, it is our job to help them in whatever way we can." The last sentence caught Seven's attention. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Not even twelve hours earlier, Chakotay had tried to argue that he and Seven technically weren't members of Starfleet and therefore didn't have to follow all the rules. He couldn't have it both ways, either they were part of Starfleet and had to follow all the rules, or they weren't. There was no middle ground. She opened her mouth to point out the discrepancy, but she quickly closed it. To point that out would be insubordinate and would cause Harry and Tom to become suspicious of their relationship. It was important that she was careful and respectful of Chakotay's command, even if she didn't agree with it.

"What if we don't find them?" Tom questioned. He didn't mean to sound defiant, he knew better than that, but he was genuinely curious. "How long do we play Boy Scouts before we give up? There's no way we can search the entire planet. At some point we have to throw in the towel."

"I fail to see what towels have to do with this," Seven quipped.

"It's a saying," Chakotay explained. "It means that at some point we'll eventually have to give up." He paused to carefully think about Tom's question. As much as he hated to admit it, he was right. They couldn't stay here forever. Not only did they have to rendezvous with _Voyager_ , but their supplies would only last so long. On the other hand, they couldn't give up after a day of searching. There had to be some sort of logical reason as to why they couldn't find a single sign of whoever sent out that distress call. They could be injured or ill, which meant the away team would have to find them themselves.

"I agree with Tom," Harry added. The light from the fire cast a warm glow across his face as he spoke up. He picked up a small rock and played with it mindlessly as he spoke. "We can't stay here forever looking. Our supplies will only last so long, and then we'll have nothing to give whoever it was who sent out the distress call."

"We're not staying here indefinitely," Chakotay explained. He was trying to stay patient, but in the back of his mind, he agreed with them. He couldn't tell them though, he needed to be the one giving the orders. "We'll continue to search for a few days. There has to be some sort of logical explanation for why there's nothing here. Seven, tomorrow I want you to reanalyze the distress call. Maybe the calculations were wrong. With all the interference we had in the atmosphere, we could be in the wrong place. Whoever sent that distress call could be on the other end of the planet waiting for us to show up. After you've done that, we'll set out tomorrow and continue to search. We'll stay here for another two or three days to search." While nobody said anything, their body language spoke volumes. Tom and Harry slumped over and scowled. Another two or three days of hiking and helplessly searching for something they weren't even sure existed. It didn't exactly sound like a lot of fun. Chakotay immediately picked up on their frustrated body language. His mind whirled as he tried to think of a way to lift their spirits. Usually it took a few days for an away team to get frustrated and anxious to get back to _Voyager_. There had to be some way to lift their spirits. "Look at it this way: if we don't find anything, you get a little vacation. A few days of camping under the stars, exploring a new planet, hiking, no diapers." He looked directly at Tom. "It'll be fun." Not only was he trying to reassure his away team, Chakotay was trying to boost his own morale. Just that morning he'd said he needed a vacation, but he had been thinking a few days off in the holodeck, not sleeping under the stars. This was the best he was probably going to get though. There was no way he'd be able to take off a few days otherwise.

"Speak for yourself," Harry grumbled.

"Are we also going to hold hands and sing around the campfire every night?" Tom teased before tossing another fruit skin into the fire and watching the spectacular reaction.

"I've heard you sing," Chakotay retorted teasingly. "Trust me, that's not going to happen." He got to his feet. His joints immediately popped as they adjusted from sitting on the unforgiving ground. At this point, the sun was nearly gone, and the only light came from the campfire in the middle of the small circle. "Get some sleep, I'll take first watch." It was an order, not a suggestion. He left the rest of the away team behind as he went to walk the perimeter of their campsite to make sure everything was safe before settling down himself.

Despite the fact that she wasn't tired, Seven followed the lead of Tom and Harry when they unrolled their sleeping bags. She slid into the large piece of fabric. The padding from the sleeping bag provided a little bit of relief against the ground, but it was still going to be a rough night for everyone as they adjusted to their new sleeping conditions. At least the sleeping bag helped retain heat and keep them warm. Once inside the sleeping bag, Seven hardly noticed the cold night air swirling around them.

"Shouldn't we sleep in the cave?" Harry asked warily as he eyed the open expanse of the desert that stretched all around them.

"The ambient temperature in the cave is approximately ten degrees colder than outside," Seven replied as she burrowed down in her sleeping bag. They could only see her pale face in the limited light. It almost looked amusing to Tom, like a floating head hovering above the ground. "It would be smart to sleep outside where the fire can keep us warm."

"It's not warmth I'm worried about. It's sleeping out in the open."

"It'll be fun," Tom teased as he clapped his friend on the back. "Like Chakotay said, just like camping." He unfurled his sleeping bag close enough to the fire to feel its warmth but not too close to accidentally end up burning himself. "Didn't you go camping when you were little?"

"Oh yeah, my helicopter parents absolutely would have let me go sleep in the middle of nowhere." Harry rolled his eyes. Sometimes he couldn't believe how dense Tom could be. After seven years of friendship, he could be clueless about some things. Seven looked confused.

"Helicopter parents?" she repeated. Not quite ready for bed, Tom sat on top of his sleeping bag. The fire helped keep him warm enough for the time being.

"A helicopter is an ancient machine use for flying. It hovers above the ground." As he spoke, he demonstrated by hovering his hand a few feet above the ground.

"I'm familiar with what a helicopter is. I have just never heard of it being described as a parenting technique."

"A helicopter parent is a parent who hovers over their child." Seven began to picture an adult physically hovering over a child. Confusion still crossed her face, telling Tom that he had more explaining to do. "Meaning they watch everything their child does and is very overprotective."

"Isn't it the role of parents to watch over their children and ensure their safety?" None of this made any sense to Seven. Parents should watch over their children and make sure no harm came to them. Not to do so would be highly irresponsible.

"Yes, but it's also the job of the parents to let their children explore, make mistakes and get hurt," Tom explained. He spoke with the authority of a new father. "If you try to shield your children from the world, then they end up snapping and jetting off to the other side of the galaxy. I mean, that's what Harry did at least." Harry rolled his eyes. Leave it to Tom to turn his little lesson into a jab at him. It hadn't been his intention to end up in the Delta Quadrant, and he didn't blame his parents for his current situation. He loved them and knew he was making them proud. He did agree that they could be classified as helicopter parents though, although that was hardly the reason he joined Starfleet.

Slowly, the distant voices around the fire died off until they eventually stopped. Chakotay had considered keeping watch around the campfire with the rest of the away team, but he decided to start his own miniature camp about seventy-five yards away. This gave him the perfect opportunity to clear his mind and enjoy is surroundings while trying to figure out what was going on with this mysterious distress call. If he tried hard enough, he could forget that he was in the middle of the Delta Quadrant and convince himself that he was back on Earth. The homesickness made him feel sick to his stomach. It had been years since he felt this way. He'd come to regard _Voyager_ as his home now. It had all the comforts he needed: friends, a place to sleep, a sense of purpose and now the most amazing woman he could ever ask for. Despite all that, it was still a ship. He'd walked every inch of it a thousand times over, including every single Jefferies tube. With the exception of the crew's' quarters, there was nowhere on the starship that Chakotay hadn't been. It was incredibly confining and almost claustrophobic in nature. He was getting restless there. Even if they didn't find the origins of the distress call, he was still grateful for this away mission. Despite Harry's protests and hesitations, it felt amazing to be out in the open and sleeping under the stars like this. For a moment, he wasn't First Officer, but rather a man camping and enjoying the beauty that was nature.

Chakotay was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even realize he wasn't alone until Seven sat down next to him. Right away, she could see that something was bothering him. Unable to resist, she put a supporting hand on his knee. She knew that it was improper given the fact that they were on an away mission, but her heart finally won out over her mind. Seven knew she was violating her directive to keep their personal relationship out of their work lives, but she figured they were safe right now. Both Harry and Tom were fast asleep back at camp, and it was too dark to see what they were doing anyway. Her emotions had gotten the better of her, and it looked like Chakotay could use some comforting anyway as he stared out into the desert. His large hand covered hers and gave it a small, affectionate squeeze, but he didn't look over at her. It looked like something was bothering him, and that worried her. Rather than disrupt his thoughts, she simply sat in silence as well while they held hands. She tried to enjoy the view that surrounded them as well, but unlike him, she didn't recognize the beauty of the desert. Instead, she saw it as another planet they were sent to explore.

Chakotay laced his fingers with Seven's and gave her hand a squeeze. He looked over at her and gave her a small smile. For a moment, his dimples appeared, causing her heart to flutter just like before when they were starting the fire. He brought her hand to his lips, grazing them across the smooth skin before letting go. It was a small yet incredibly intimate gesture. While she knew it was most improper to do something like that on an away mission of all places, she also found the action comforting. After spending all day trying to keep a safe distance from each other, an action such as that served as a reminder as to what their feelings were for each other.

"I thought you were going to sleep," he commented. Instantly, he regretted using those words. He felt that he sounded like he didn't want her there with him right now, which couldn't be further from the truth. He found great comfort in her presence. Almost immediately, all thoughts and doubts about what to do next fled his mind, and he found that he could relax just a little bit.

"I do not require sleep at this moment, so I came to assist you in keeping watch."

"Well, I'm glad for the company." A comfortable silence fell over the couple as they each stared off into the desert once again. Now that he wasn't alone, however, Chakotay found that there was something else he'd much rather look at.

Seven seemed to glow in the dancing flames in front of them. Her pale skin absorbed the orange flames, giving her an eerie, otherworldly quality. Her hair also changed from its usual corn silk blonde to an almost orange appearance. Her optical implant caught the light. It almost seemed to glitter in the dim light. Chakotay knew she was self-conscious of her implants, but he found them intriguing. Caught up in Seven's appearance, he didn't realize he was openly staring at her. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she glanced at him before averting her gaze back down to the fire at her feet.

"Is something the matter?" she asked. He chuckled.

"No, I was just looking at how beautiful you are." Even in the minimal light, he could tell that she was blushing. A sense of pride swelled up inside of him as he realized that he was the reason she was blushing.

"Commander, that is most unprofessional," she admonished, although her tone said otherwise and told him that she was flattered by his compliment.

"You're right, and I apologize. But it's true." The flattering comment made Seven feel uncomfortable. The discomfort was combined with an unexpected boost in confidence. Only Chakotay could get such a reaction out of her, and as uncomfortable as it made her, she also found herself craving more. While she'd been complemented before on _Voyager_ , there was something about Chakotay's complements that seemed more genuine, more heartfelt. He always seemed to know exactly what to say to make her heart soar and make her feel like the most important woman on the starship.

Deep down inside, Seven knew that it was unprofessional to allow Chakotay's flattery to get to her. They needed to focus on their away mission, or camping trip as he called it. Regardless of what this little adventure was, they still needed to act in a manner that was becoming of a First Officer and crew member. She let go of his hand and scooted away from him a little bit. She mentally chastised herself for allowing herself to drop her guard. There would be plenty of chances for them to share intimate moments like this, in the privacy of their quarters back on _Voyager_ , not on an away mission with two other crewmen sleeping just a few hundred yards away.

"Commander, I hope you did not find my disagreement with you earlier about the distress call insubordinate," Seven blurted out. Just like that, the tender moment between them was gone, chased away by one simple sentence. Chakotay immediately picked up on the change in body language and tone. In an instant, they were no longer a couple but two crewmen having a conversation about work.

"Insubordinate?" he repeated in confusion. He thought back to what Seven had said earlier. It had been so innocuous that he couldn't even remember precisely what she said. All he knew was that she had disagreed with him, but that didn't bother him at all. Apparently, it bothered her though. "No, of course not," he assured. "It's important for a commanding officer to listen to his crew. If I were in your shoes, I would have spoken my mind as well." Chakotay couldn't even begin to count the times he'd spoken his mind to the Captain and told her that she was being reckless. While the Captain may not look like she appreciated his words of wisdom, he knew that she did. Even if they didn't agree with each other, they balanced each other out perfectly. He rubbed the back of his neck. "This was supposed to be an easy away mission," he admitted. "And now I don't know what to do. We've only been here a day, and already Tom and Harry are getting restless with the lack of results. We've never answered a distress call and found absolutely nothing there. There's always been some sort of trace of whoever made the distress call." The candidness caught Seven off guard. She hadn't even realized that he was feeling so torn and conflicted, although now that she looked closer at him, she could see it written across his face. Small lines crisscrossed his tanned skin, indicating his stress and confusion.

"You are to follow the Captain's orders," she stated bluntly. "We will find whoever sent the distress call and help them. And if we don't, we'll at least get a vacation." Seven sounded unsure about taking a vacation. Chakotay cracked a small smile and chuckled. It was a deep, rumbling laugh that was oddly comforting to her.

"When's the last time you were on vacation?" he asked.

"I've never been on vacation," she admitted. "It is an inefficient use of time." He laughed again. This time it was louder. It almost sounded deafening against the silence of the desert. Chakotay immediately stopped himself so he didn't wake Tom or Harry. He glanced back towards the main camp. From what he could see, both men were still fast asleep.

"When we get back to _Voyager_ , I'm taking you on vacation on the holodeck." He ran his knuckles along her thigh, instantly sending shivers shooting through her body. She opened her mouth to protest his suggestion but instantly closed it. A vacation may be an inefficient use of time, but the thought of spending several days with Chakotay on the holodeck without any interruptions sounded appealing to her. "But first, we need to find whoever sent out this distress call." If only it was that easy. While Chakotay appeared to be calm and collected from a distance and to the rest of the away team, Seven knew that he was just as confused and frustrated as the rest of them about what was going on here. It simply didn't make any sense.

Banishing all thoughts of the away mission from his mind, Chakotay turned to face Seven properly. His knee brushed up against hers. Both were acutely aware of the touch they shared but neither commented on it. Chakotay still seemed distracted, but Seven couldn't identify what caused him to act this way.

"Something else is bothering you," she observed. Chakotay hadn't realized that he still look distracted and worried. He had been doing his best to push his emotions aside and enjoy the time alone with her while he could.

"Nothing," he replied. He sounded pathetic, and she didn't believe him for a moment. Just like he could read her like a book, she could do the same. It was obvious that there was still something bothering him despite his best attempts to hide it. She raised her eyebrow skeptically. That spoke volumes, and he knew she didn't believe him at all. "This place reminds me of home," he finally admitted. It would be pointless to try and deny it any longer. At least if he got it out in the open, perhaps Seven could help him overcome the overwhelming homesickness. "If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn I was home." He sighed. "It looks like New Mexico and where I spent my childhood. I never appreciated it as a child, but now I miss it more than anything else in the Alpha Quadrant."

"I would very much like to see it one day." He smiled.

"One day I'll show it to you," he assured. "There's nothing like hiking and camping in New Mexico." There was a certain sparkle in his eyes that Seven very rarely saw. The smile spread across his face. "It's so peaceful at night, with the stars stretching above you in all directions."

"There are sufficient stars to glimpse aboard _Voyager_ ," Seven commented. She didn't mean to sound rude, the words simply came out. She'd seen more stars this past month than most people on planets saw in a lifetime. To her, stars were little more than pinpricks of light from a distance and large, glowing balls of gas up close. They were hardly worth marveling at, at least in her opinion.

"But there's nothing like laying out under the stars after a long day of hiking and swimming." Now she was confused.

"I was under the impression that deserts have limited water, which would make swimming a difficult task."

"Where I used to go hiking and camping in New Mexico, there was a swimming hole. It wasn't very big, but we always enjoyed ourselves." He sighed.

"I was unaware that you enjoyed spending time out of doors."

"Well, there's not exactly a lot of opportunities to go hiking and camping on _Voyager_ , and I don't have a lot of time to visit the holodeck." Now that he thought about it, Chakotay couldn't remember the last time he had gone to the holodeck. In fact, last night had been the longest stretch of time he'd had uninterrupted in weeks. He was grateful for that, but it also made him realize how overworked he was. Kathryn was right, he needed a vacation, as soon as he figured out what was going on with this frustrating away mission.

Once again banishing all thoughts of impropriety, Seven put a tentative hand on Chakotay's and gave it a squeeze. He returned the affection. It was clear that he needed to be comforted, and while that may not be her area of expertise, she was determined to do the best she could. The back and forth between affection and formality was enough to give Chakotay whiplash, but he was feeling just as conflicted about his emotions as well.

"Tell me more about Earth," she pressed eagerly. Her eyes sparkled with excitement in the firelight. "I am curious to learn about your childhood." Despite their many dates and time spent together, this was something they hadn't talked about. Chakotay wasn't sure where to start, there was so much to say. He also didn't want to make Seven feel like she missed out on something given the fact that nearly her entire childhood was stolen by the Borg. He could see that she longed to know more, and he didn't want to deny her of the information; he had nothing to hide from her.

"I was raised on a colony near the Cardassian demilitarized zone," he replied, figuring he might as well start at the beginning. "But I had been to Earth many times, and that's where I always felt like home. When I was there, I felt like I could relax. In the colony, we lived as a small tribe, clinging to our old traditions. When I was younger, I never appreciated my tribe's traditions, and now I deeply regret that. We would travel to Central America to visit where my tribe came from, but I also had family in Southwestern United States who we would visit often as well. To some, the desert is an unforgiving place. It can be overwhelming and almost smothering." Thoughts of Harry and his reaction to sleeping under the stars immediately came to mind. While Harry was a strong ensign, it was clear that he wasn't used to roughing it. Chakotay could easily stay here for a week without a second thought. In fact, he wished he could. "To me, it's gorgeous." He turned to face Seven. "Up until recently, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." She blushed slightly. It seemed that Chakotay was in the mood for flattery tonight. While his previous compliments made her heart soar, his unceasing complement were now starting to make her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Why did you join the Maquis?" she asked in an attempt to shift the subject away from her and back to him.

Just like that, the conversation was over. The carefree attitude melted away from Chakotay's face. His deadpan expression told Seven that she had inadvertently crossed the line. Without warning, he pushed himself to his feet. Seven hadn't realized the warmth his body gave off until it was gone. There was still warmth coming from the fire, but it wasn't the same. There was a certain comfort that came from sitting so close to another person, especially if that person was Chakotay.

"You have the next watch, crewman," he stated bluntly. His fingertips momentarily brushed across her shoulder. It was a fleeting, feathersoft touch that she barely felt. She glanced over her shoulder as Chakotay retreated to the nearby campsite for the night. She should have kept her mouth shut and just let the conversation continue on its current trajectory.

Finally alone, Seven did her best to figure out what she did wrong. Up until Chakotay's abrupt departure, she thought she had been successful in what the Doctor called small talk. It had never been one of her strong suits, but she thought she was doing better. It also came easily when she was with Chakotay. She didn't have to think about what she was going to say next, it just came to her naturally. Chakotay was usually open with her, or so she thought. She knew that he kept secrets from her, but they were usually about _Voyager_ and those secrets were few because she was lucky enough to be a member of the Senior Staff. When it came to their personal lives, Seven always thought that they were both completely open and honest with each other. She just found out she was wrong. It was a startling realization. He always encouraged her to be open with him, and she simply assumed that he returned the favor. Apparently she had inadvertently overstepped some sort of unspoken boundary while trying to learn more about him.

Drawing in a deep breath, Tom rolled over to face the dying fire. He'd barely been asleep for two hours, and already his body was screaming in protest. The ground was hard and unforgiving. While the sleeping bags did provide some sort of cushion, it barely balanced out the fact that he was practically sleeping on solid rock. In the distance, Tom saw the glow of a second fire. Despite the fact that he was half asleep, he could make out Chakotay's silhouette. He must be tired, because he saw a second figure next to him around the fire. No, he wasn't dreaming, sitting right next to Chakotay so they were practically touching was Seven of Nine. Tom chuckled. It would appear that Harry was right, not that he had doubted his best friend in the first place. There was definitely something going on between the two of them. Tom mentally berated himself for missing his opportunity to start a small bet with Harry. Perhaps there was still time. Tom dozed off dreaming about starting a pool with Harry about when Chakotay and Seven would come clean to the Captain and the rest of the crew.

No sooner had Tom closed his eyes once again when he heard the distinct crunch of feet walking across the rocks that littered the ground. The noise wasn't overwhelming but was loud enough to rouse him from his light slumber. He opened his eyes just enough to see what was going on and saw Chakotay hunched down in front of the dying embers of the fire. The fire had stopped giving off heat at least half an hour ago, causing Tom to huddle down in his sleeping bag even more to escape the cold air. Chakotay added more fuel to the fire, causing to glow softly and give off some more heat that chased away some of the chill in the air. He didn't want to make the fire too bright or else it would wake everyone up. Satisfied with his handiwork, Chakotay bedded down for the night, although he doubted he would get much sleep.

Chakotay didn't even realize he had fallen asleep. His dreams felt so real. For a moment, he was sure he was back on Earth with Seven and all the adventures on _Voyager_ were little more than distant memories. She flitted in and out of his thoughts as he dreamt of home. It was the first time he'd dreamt of Earth in months, if not years. While he did hope to someday get home, he was also realistic. In the meantime, he could dream of Earth and taking Seven to see the New Mexican desert. He hoped that by then she would be able to appreciate its natural beauty. He knew she would enjoy it and all the activities it had to offer. Her memories of Earth were so few, and he had so much to show her. He wouldn't even know where to start. The possibilities were endless. All of a sudden, he heard Seven's frantic voice rousing him and the rest of the away team from their slumber. his eyes immediately flew open, and he bolted upright. Years of being Captain of the _Valjean_ and being First Officer of _Voyager_ made it possible for him to go from a deep slumber to wide awake and completely alert in a matter of seconds. The wind had picked up dramatically, causing him to grow confused as to what was going on. Someone's tricorder skittered across the ground and out of sight into the darkness that surrounded them in all directions.

"Wake up," Seven ordered.

"Come on, we still have a few hours of sleep," Tom protested bitterly as he rolled over and clutched at his sleeping bag tightly around him. He was starting to get colder from the wind whipping around him. It hadn't been like that when he saw Chakotay return to camp.

"Wake up!" Seven repeated. "A plasma storm is approaching, we need to take cover." That was enough to get all three men scrambling to their feet. The wind was already picking up at dangerous speeds and nearly knocked them over. Debris flew through the air as well.

"Should we head for the shuttle?" Tom asked. He had to scream over the wind, and even then, Chakotay barely heard him. The wind was picking up dangerously fast. They only had a minute or two left until it got too dangerous for them to stay out in the open.

"No," he responded. "Grab what you can and head towards the cave. It'll provide us with better shelter." Nobody needed to be told twice. Tom grabbed a canteen and his phaser. In the darkness, he couldn't find his tricorder, but they had extras on the shuttle. In their haste, the away team left almost everything else behind. Right now, their safety was their top concern.

As the senior-most officer on the away team, Chakotay made sure he was the last one in the cave. It was his job to make sure everyone got to safety before getting to safety himself. He saw Seven hesitate to grab one last canteen. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she doubled over against the gale force winds, and he used his larger body to shield her against the dangers all around them. Once inside the cave, he pushed her deeper inside and out of harm's way. Tom was about a hundred yards ahead of them, far deeper in the cave, and she rushed to join him. Debris continued to whip around inside, occasionally making its way inside the cave. A canteen flew out of nowhere. There was a dull thud as it came in contact with Harry's skull. Despite the roar of the wind, Chakotay still heard the sickening sound a few feet away from him.

"Harry!" he exclaimed as he spun around to grab the young ensign before he fell to the ground. He looped his arm over his shoulder and dragged him inside the cave.

All around the away team, the cave began to tremble from the high powered winds outside. Small rocks began to rain down on them, but it was better than being outside. They had definitely made the right call to seek shelter in the cave rather than the shuttle. There was no way of telling how the flyer would be able to handle the winds and debris, but the cave was only a little better. The walls continued to shake as Chakotay attempted to drag Harry further inside the cave, but he was slowed down by the additional weight. A rattle above caused him to speed up. Suddenly, rocks began to tumble down from above at a much faster rate, causing Chakotay to skid to a stop. Several yards in front of him, Seven spun around. Their eyes met for a split second. The noise was deafening as the sound of rocks breaking loose and crashing to the ground combined with the wind outside. Just as quickly as the rocks came loose, they stopped. The dust settled, revealing a wall of rock between them with Seven and Tom trapped on the other side.

 **Author's Note:** Make sure to leave a review!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Wide eyed and in utter shock, Tom stumbled backwards. While he hadn't turned around in time to see the cave in, he did manage to see the dust starting to settle. It had all happened so fast. One second he was sure Chakotay and Harry were right behind him and Seven, the next there was a wall of rock between them. By the time he realized it was happening, it was already over. The dust burned his lungs and caused him to cough. Each cough echoed over the walls of the cave. It showed just how large the cave was. Seven theorized it went on for several kilometers at the very least. Tom waved away the dust as it stung his eyes. He doubled over and caught his breath. The dust had little effect on Seven. She also showed little concern for Tom and his current condition. Already, her mind was trying to think of a way out of their current situation. Try as she might to hide it, Seven looked equally shocked. The emotions building up inside of her made it difficult for her to think straight. Thoughts of Chakotay immediately rushed to her mind. She hoped he was alright. It was a startling phenomenon for her to experience. While she was normally concerned with every member of the crew and away team, she'd never felt this way before. She was concerned about Harry, but he was an afterthought. Her main focus was Chakotay and his welfare. Suddenly, she understood why couples weren't allowed to go on away missions together. It clouded their judgement and caused them to focus more on each other than the team as a whole. They needed to focus on all members of the team, not just their significant others.

Seven turned around to face Tom. His coughing had subsided, and the only noise in the cave was the scream of the plasma storm outside. When he stood up, he had a chance to really look around, although it was hard for him to see. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, giving him a better opportunity to look around. The cave was at least ten feet tall and fifteen feet across. The entrance hadn't been that wide; the cave had widened as they progressed back into it. They were in some sort of cavern approximately twenty yards into the cave. While it was roomy, the cave was also confining and smothering. There was no possible way out, at least none that he could see.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed. In an attempt to regain himself, he took several deep breaths. His hands trembled as adrenaline coursed through his body. Tom found that he could barely stand up straight, forcing him to lean against one of the cool, damp walls. "Commander!" His voice bounced off the walls of the cave and echoed towards the back. "Harry!"

"Lieutenant, it would be unwise to yell." Seven's voice sounded surprisingly calm given their current situation. Had Tom been able to see better, he would see that she was equally scared and worried. Worry lines etched across her smooth skin as she contemplated various escape methods. As of right now, none came to mind, which was a sobering thought. She almost always knew how to react and what steps she should take next. The cave in had disoriented her, which, when combined with her concern for Chakotay's well being, made it more difficult for her to think of a plan of action. Despite the realization that she had no idea what to do next, she knew she was Borg, and she would adapt and find a way out of here. They couldn't survive in here forever. For some reason, Tom found Seven's seemingly calm voice comforting. At least one of them had managed to keep a cool head. "Based on my calculations, the barrier is approximately a yard thick. It is impossible for a human to be heard through that much rock, no matter how loud you scream.."

"Clearly you haven't heard my daughter cry," Tom muttered dryly as he rolled his eyes. He was pretty sure Miral kept everyone on the ship awake at night. It was that damned third Klingon lung. "Okay then, what are we going to do?"

"We are going to adapt."

In a less than gentle manner, Chakotay dropped Harry to the ground. The still unconscious ensign crumbled to the ground, but Chakotay barely noticed. His jaw hung open in shock as he took a few steps towards the newly formed barrier. His eyes flitted back and forth over the stones. There had to be some sort of crack or hole somewhere here that he could use to get through to the other side. So far, he didn't see anything. He knew there was a weakness somewhere, and once he found it, he was going to use it to rescue Seven and Tom.

"Seven!" he roared over the scream of the plasma storm outside. "Seven!" It was no use. He could barely hear his own voice over the wind outside. The plasma storm was still going at full force and didn't show signs of stopping any time soon. Once it did, they would be able to get supplies from the shuttle to help them. When calling for Seven didn't work, he tapped his communicator on his chest. "Chakotay to Seven." Nothing. "Commander Chakotay to Seven of Nine. Answer me, that's an order," he hastily snapped. Still nothing. That wasn't like Seven. Always one to follow orders, she would have immediately responded if she had been able to. The thought made him feel sick. Something had to be wrong. He had no way of knowing if she was even alive. Wait, of course she was alive. He couldn't be so pessimistic. Suddenly, it dawned on Chakotay. The atmospheric interference that made it impossible for them to communicate with Voyager also prevented him from communicating with the rest of his away team inside the cave.

As much as it pained him, Chakotay knew he had to banish all the emotions currently swirling through his mind and tend to Harry, who was still unconscious at his feet. He was Commanding Officer and in charge of this away mission; the safety of all members of the away team was his responsibility. Since there wasn't anything he could feasibly do for Tom and Seven right now, but there was something he could do for Harry, that had to take priority. He knelt next to the ensign where he had crumpled to the ground and very gently, he rolled him onto his back. A bruise was starting to form where he had been hit on his temple, but there wasn't any sign of blood. That was a good sign. Chakotay pulled out his tricorder but quickly discovered that the interference from the plasma storm currently made it useless. He would have to use some old school methods to tend to Harry. Chakotay started by lifting both of Harry's eyelids. His eyes flitted back and forth but they didn't register that his commander was hovering above him. It was another good sign, but he was still unconscious. He then checked Harry's pulse. It was strong and steady, indicating that a blow to the head was the only thing wrong with him. As he worked, thoughts of Seven still clouded the back of Chakotay's mind. He tried time and time again to banish her from his thoughts, but it simply didn't work. If only he knew if she was alright, then he would be able to relax a little as he worked.

Satisfied that Harry was going to be fine, Chakotay sat back on his hunches. Unfortunately, all he could do was wait this out, at least until the plasma storm was over and he could get back to the shuttle. This was the worst feeling in the world. There were so many things that he knew needed to get done, but he was stranded, virtually alone while still being so close to his crew, in this cave while the plasma storm screamed outside. He couldn't leave to get the medical supplies from the shuttle, and there was nothing he could do to rescue Seven and Tom. Some First Officer he was. Right now he was completely useless.

Harry felt like someone was striking the inside of his skull repeatedly with a heavy, blunt object. Had he been drinking? It certainly felt like he was hungover. No, he hadn't been drinking, he was on an away mission. Tom might bring out the reckless side in him, but neither of them were that bad, especially with Chakotay and Seven on this mission as well. Groaning, he brought his hand up to his head. As soon as he opened his eyes, light instantly blinded him, forcing him to slam his eyelids closed again. The light only made his head hurt worse, which he hadn't thought possible.

"What the hell happened?" he muttered to no one in particular. In the split second that his eyes had been opened, he hadn't been able to tell if anyone was near him. With his eyes still closed, he tried to prop himself up. The second he tried to sit up, his head started to spin and throb in objection. He immediately regretted it and laid back down with his arm flung carelessly over his eyes to help block out the blinding sun that streamed in from the mouth of the cave roughly fifteen yards away.

"You were hit in the head with debris from the plasma storm," Chakotay replied as he paced anxiously in front of the wall from the cave in. The wind outside had finally stopped. The plasma storm had passed, but he hadn't made it outside yet, although it looked peaceful, as if nothing had happened. He hadn't wanted to leave Harry unattended in the cave when he wasn't sure if he had a concussion or not. Besides, there were far more important things to worry about right now. Pushing aside the pain and dizziness, Harry scrambled to his feet. "Where are Tom and Seven?" Chakotay motioned helplessly towards the rock wall in front of him.

"In there," he replied. Harry had never heard the First Officer sound like this before. He sounded confused and helpless. Harry immediately felt the same way. Usually Chakotay was able to come up with some sort of creative solution to any problems at hand, but if he already felt this way, then Harry had no idea how to feel. It was hard to feel optimistic.

Tom had no way of knowing that Chakotay stood no more than ten feet away from him on the other side of the cave in. Just like the Commander, he was trying to think of a way get out of the cave. There had to be a way out somewhere. Next to him, Seven used her enhanced eyesight to see if there were any weaknesses in the makeshift wall that they could use to their advantage to get out of here.

"Do you see anything?" Tom pressed eagerly.

"Negative," she replied formally. "There appear to be no weaknesses we can use to escape. It is just as solid as the other walls of the cave." He scowled. That wasn't exactly the news he wanted to hear. It was a cave in, there had to be some sort of weakness somewhere.

"Well, we can't stay here forever," he announced as he clapped his hands excitedly. While the prospect of being stranded in a cave definitely wasn't appealing to him, he had to get himself pumped up before he started to feel depressed. "We might as well see if there's another exit somewhere." He began to walk towards the back of the cave. His biggest fear was coming across another wall, forever sealing them in the cave without any hope of escape. There had to be another way out, or at least he hoped there was one.

"That would be a wise decision," Seven agreed as she fell into step next to Tom. he looked amused.

"Wait a minute, did you just give me a compliment?" He smiled slightly, but she didn't return the gesture. As always, she looked unflinchingly serious and professional. So far, none of this appeared to phase her.

"I hardly think so. I simply agreed that your idea is the most logical to get back to Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kim."

"Regardless, you're going to have to lead the way. I can barely see."

"My optical implant is undamaged. I can direct you." Tom nodded. While he couldn't complain that this away mission was boring now, this was hardly what he had in mind. He had hoped for a little bit of excitement such as discovering a new alien race, maybe having to do some sort of fancy maneuvers through a plasma storm as the shuttle took off, but nothing like this. This was a little bit too much excitement, even for him.

Tom and Seven had only been walking for around five minutes when the faint, relaxing sound of trickling water caught both their attention. They exchanged glances, silently agreeing to deviate from their original plan to find an exit to investigate the source, and they pressed forward. No longer were they searching for an escape from the cave but rather the water. Neither of them had had anything to drink since the night before. While neither of them had outwardly complained about it, they were both undeniably thirsty. No more than twenty feet from where they first heard the water they came across an underground stream. Tom immediately leaned over to cup his hands under the water.

"That would not be advisable," Seven commented. "We are unsure if the water is potable." He froze. Neither of them had a tricorder, so there was no way of knowing if the water was safe.

"Well, we can't scan the water for dangerous pathogens," he pointed out. "So what do you suggest we do?"

"We continue searching. With any luck, we will find an exit and a more reliable water source." As much as he hated to admit it, Tom knew Seven was right. Who knew what was swimming in this water? If he got sick, then it would only make matters worse.

"I didn't know Borgs believe in luck," he teased as he began walking once again.

"We don't, but it seemed like the appropriate sentiment given the current situation. Was I incorrect?"

"No, no you weren't," Tom assured with a small laugh. Momentarily he forgot about the fact that he was thirsty and standing only a few feet away from water that he wasn't sure he could drink. Hopefully they would be able to get out of here soon. He could feel himself growing frustrated. For the time being, he would have to push aside all thoughts of thirstiness. He'd been through worse situations in the past, he could survive just a little while longer without water. The only consolation was the fact that it wasn't hot down here, so they didn't have to worry about dehydration, yet. The human body could only last so long without water though, so they would need to find some safe water sooner rather than later.

As Seven lead the way, her vision began to fade. It was gradual at first, so she didn't notice until she realized that she was having trouble seeing the cave around her. She blinked a few times, but her vision was still fading. Particularly, the vision in her left eye was beginning to glitch. The images in front of her slowly faded away before coming back twice as bright, momentarily blinding her, before nearly disappearing altogether once again. The sensation caused her to freeze. Not entirely paying attention, Tom nearly ran her over.

"Oof!" he exclaimed in surprise. His arms shot out to grab her before she could stumble to the ground from the run in. That was enough to zap her vision back to normal for the time being, although she remained rooted to the spot. Tom immediately noticed that something wasn't right with her. "Seven, what's wrong?" he asked. Instinctively, he reached out to take her arm.

"Nothing," she replied stiffly. "We must continue if we are going to find an exit." Tom opened his mouth to press the issue further but ultimate decided against it. He definitely agreed with her. They needed to keep moving if they wanted to get out of where and find out if Harry and Chakotay were safe. Although, he was confused about what had just happened, it wasn't like her at all.

With the storm finally gone and Harry back on his feet, he and Chakotay could finally return to the shuttle to gather supplies and figure out the next steps. Most importantly, they would need to activate a distress call of their own. With any hope, Voyager would hear them and send provisions to get Seven and Tom out of the cave. Given the amount of interference in the atmosphere and the fact that they were barely able to make sense of the original distress call that brought them to this planet, that was highly unlikely. It was the least they could do though. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, Harry couldn't get Chakotay to abandon his vigil in the cave.

"There has to be some way to break down this wall," Chakotay grumbled as he glowered angrily at the obstruction.

"Commander, let's get fresh supplies from the shuttle, then we can work on rescuing Tom and Seven." Harry's voice barely registered. "We'll be of no use to them if we don't have our energy." Even Harry thought that it was a pathetic suggestion, but it was the only thing he could think of. There had to be something more they could do, but they would need supplies from the shuttle to make it happen. "There's probably another entrance to the cave a few kilometers away. That would be our best bet to get to them."

"You're right," Chakotay relented with a sigh. His gaze lingered on the cave in for a few moments as if willing to open it with his mind. It didn't work, not that he expected it to. There had to be some supplies in the shuttle that could help get them out of this situation..

Outside the cave was pure chaos. Once the duo got over the blinding sun that beat down overhead, they were able to look around and really take in the carnage that surrounded them. Plants had been uprooted and thrown all over the place. It looked as if a giant child had made its way through here, ripping up anything it could get its hands on, losing interest and tossing it to the side. There were very few traces of the away team's camp left anywhere. Had they not know that this was where they had been camping, they wouldn't have believed it. All that was left was a sleeping bag torn and snagged on a bush. Part of its stuffing oozed out of a tear like a festering wound. Although it was damaged, it still appeared to be salvageable. Several yards away from the sleeping bag sat a canteen caught on some rocks. Other than that, nobody would ever know that the away team had ever been there. Everything else they'd left behind was gone. Based on the winds last night, Harry figured that their supplies could be dozens of kilometers away at the very least. It would be a useless waste of time to trace it all down; they had far more important things to worry about.

Chakotay kept his eyes glued to the ground in search of any other supplies from their camp. He wanted to save as much as he could to give to whoever had summoned them here, although that was no longer a top priority. There had to be something more than a sleeping bag and an empty canteen around here that they could save and use. Unfortunately, he didn't see anything. This was it, this was all they had left of their small camp from just a few hours earlier. They would have to use some of the supplies on the shuttle designated for whoever sent the distress call for themselves, but they would still have plenty of supplies to help whoever summoned them here.

Once Harry finally got over the scene of destruction in front of him, he was able to focus on the shuttle in the distance. Even from where he stood, he could tell something was wrong. As he approached the craft, a jarring realization washed over him. He felt his anxiety and concern spike at the sight. The rear hatch was wide open, as if someone had just entered the craft without their knowledge.

"Commander," he called over his shoulder. "You better come out here." Obviously frustrated with being interrupted, Chakotay stalked across the desert. He still kept his eyes opened for anything from their camp that they could save, but he wasn't going to hold his breath. They were lucky they still had the sleeping bag and canteen. There were more emergency supplies in the shuttle though. While they weren't as nice as what they had been using, they would have to be enough.

"What?" he snapped as he came to a stop next to Harry. Harry pointed towards the shuttle.

"Something's wrong with the shuttle." In the blink of an eye, Chakotay had his phaser out. Although he was unarmed, Harry followed his lead, and they cautiously approached the craft. As they got closer, they realized that the shuttle wasn't just open, the hatch had been blasted open. This wasn't supposed to happen. The shuttle should be able to withstand the high winds from much stronger than anything a plasma storm could produce. Chakotay hadn't doubted the shuttle's structural integrity when he told the away team to take shelter in the cave, he had been fearful that the shuttle would be blown over in the wind. While clearly that hadn't happened, as the shuttle was still upright, but there was still something wrong with it. It wasn't supposed to happen though. The shuttle should have been relatively fine.

When the pair entered the shuttle, they were once again stunned by what they saw. The place had been ransacked. Every drawer, every compartment was open. Whoever or whatever did this hadn't even bothered to close anything. It was all still open as if they left in a hurry at the risk of being caught.

Now it was Chakotay's turn to ask, "What the hell?" Not only was compartment and drawer open, but everything was gone. Everything not welded down had simply disappeared. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that whoever did this had also attempted to pry several of the panels from the wall as well. While they hadn't been successful, there was no way to know for certain if any damage had been done to the equipment. They would have to carefully analyze each system to see if it was operational. It was another setback on what had been perceived as an easy away mission just a few hours earlier.

Ever the optimist, Harry asked, "Do you think it could have been swept away in the plasma storm?" Once again, he knew how pathetic he sounded, but he hated the thought of someone storming the shuttle and ransacking it, especially since this was where they had originally planned on taking shelter during the storm.

"No, a plasma storm wouldn't have been able to open all these drawers and compartments," Chakotay responded.

"Perhaps an animal did this." Harry simply refused to admit that someone had purposefully broken into their shuttle and stolen everything.

"No, the hatch was blasted off. Someone did this to our shuttle under the cover of the plasma storm." It sounded completely insane. Who in their right mind would brave a plasma storm to steal from their shuttle, especially given the fact that they had come here to provide them with supplies in the first place? It was another mystery about this away mission that they simply couldn't figure out.

While Chakotay kept his phaser out and checked the shuttle for any intruders, Harry pulled out his tricorder. "Scans aren't picking up any lifesigns." The realization caused Chakotay to spin around. That didn't make any sense. Nobody could do any damage like this without leaving some sort of trace behind. They had touched everything, there should be proteins left behind, traces from whatever was used to blast open the hatch, something. It was impossible to leave behind no trace at all.

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

"There should be signs of something, residue from phasers, proteins, something, but there's nothing." It didn't take a genius to figure out that Chakotay was getting testy. This entire situation put him on edge. Harry continued to scan every inch of the shuttle, but his results stayed the same. "I'm sorry, Commander." Once sure they weren't in any danger in the shuttle, Chakotay put away his phaser and began to tap hurriedly on one of the control panels.

"Other than the hatch and their attempts to remove some of the panels, the shuttle appears to be fine," he observed. "None of the gel packs have been touched." It was the only good news they'd heard since getting here.

"So once we rescue Tom and Seven, we can repair the hatch and get out of here," Harry said optimistically. Chakotay shook his head.

"That would require supplies we don't have anymore," he pointed out. Before whoever ransacked the shuttle got their hands on everything, they would have had more than enough supplies to repair the shuttle, but that wasn't the case now. They only had the clothes on tehir back and the handful of supplies they had managed to scrounge up. "We're stranded until Voyager misses us at the rendezvous point and comes back for us." A heavy pit formed in Harry's stomach. He didn't like the sound of that. They weren't scheduled to rendezvous for nearly a week, and it would take Voyager at least another day or two at the very least to realize that they weren't there and to come after them.

Not wanting to feel useless, Harry began to type away at the console in front of him. As Chakotay said, the gel packs were undamaged, and the shuttle could essentially run, if it didn't have a giant hole in the back. The computer beeped excitedly as Harry brought it to life. His fingers move mechanically over the panel as he tried to think of some sort of solution to the problem.

"Commander, what if we use the transporter on board to lock onto Seven and Tom's location? Then we can beam them out of there," Harry suggested. Now that the shock of everything that had happened finally subsided, they were able to think straight and come up with some sort of plan. It was such a simple solution, he had no idea why they hadn't thought of it earlier. Chakotay appeared behind Harry.

"Do it," he ordered. Harry immediately began to type furiously on the screen. It didn't take long for him to realize that something was wrong. Confusion flashed across his face. Chakotay picked up on the change in body language and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The computer can't pick up their signal."

"Are they alive?" the First Officer demanded. The sharp edge to his voice startled Harry. There were very few times that he had actually heard the Commander speak like that, and he wasn't sure how to react to it. His fingers flew over the control panel even faster.

"Inconclusive," Harry replied in a strained voice. "Even if they were alive, we might not be able to lock onto their location. There appears to be interference in the cave, and they're too far underground." He continued to type at the console. "The computer can't even pick up a location on their comm badges." He stopped and turned around. "We'll have to get them out using some other method." Chakotay swore under his breath. With it's lack of supplies, damaged back and inability to lock onto Seven and Tom's locations, this shuttle was nothing more than a useless shell now.

"Search the shuttle and see if there's anything left in terms of supplies and meet me back at the cave. We need to find a way to get them out of there."

"Aye, Commander." Harry watched as Chakotay returned to the cave. Despite how he felt about their current situation, he held his head high with feigned determination and purpose. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that Chakotay was going to do everything in his power to get Tom and Seven out of that cave. Unfortunately, with the realization that their shuttle had been broken into, he knew that they would need rescuing as well. Based on what had happened to the shuttle, there was something out there, and it didn't have the best of intentions.

Try as he might to find something, anything, in the shuttle, Harry simply couldn't. Whoever boarded the shuttle had essentially stripped it of everything. Despite the fact that they came under the guise of the plasma storm, whoever broke into the shuttle been incredibly thorough. Harry was about to give up when a glimmer caught his eye. He crouched down and managed to find a handful of rations that appeared to have been kicked underneath a console and inadvertently left behind. Other than that, everything was all gone. With the newfound rations piled neatly on a seat, Harry decided to take matters into his own hands and recorded his own distress call on the comm system. It was a long shot, but it was the only thing they had right now to give them hope.

"Mayday, mayday. Voyager this is Ensign Harry Kim. We are stranded without supplies. Tom and Seven are stuck in a cave. Mayday, mayday." He ended the message and sent it. Hopefully the interference in the atmosphere would let up just enough to let the message out into space and reach Voyager on its long range scanners. If not, they still had a while before the designated rendezvous and until Voyager realized that something was wrong. With the distress signal sent out, Harry snatched up the rations and returned to Chakotay.

Tom absent mindedly trailed his fingers along the cool, damp wall of the cave as he and Seven continued to explore. Cool air swirled around them. Despite their current situation, the comfortable temperature was a vast improvement from the oppressive heat that they had suffered through the day before. It was the only positive about their current situation. They'd been walking for a while now, Tom had no idea how long, and they hadn't even come close to finding a way out of here. So far, all they encountered was more caves that branched off, revealing that this was far more than just a single cave but instead a complex system that could potentially stretch for kilometers in all directions. Clearly getting out of here wasn't going to be as easy as they originally thought.

"We appear to have taken refuge in the main cave," Seven observed, her voice slicing through the comfortable silence that had settled over them. "There are dozens of off shoots."

"What I wouldn't give for a spool of yarn right now," Tom complained sarcastically.

"I fail to see what good yarn would do. There are far more important supplies that necessary given our current situation." He sighed. He had no idea how Chakotay did it. In the past twenty-four hours he'd already had to explain several things to Seven, which ruined his sarcastic remarks.

Rather than ignore Seven's confusion and let her draw her own conclusions, he explained, "It's an ancient Earth legend. This king used to take children and stick them in a giant maze with a monster who would kill them. One boy managed to find his way out of the maze by unraveling a spool of yarn so he could easily find his way out." Seven stopped walking dead in her tracks once again. Caught up in his little story, Tom nearly ran her over. She really had to stop doing that or else one of them were going to get hurt. "What's wrong?" Afraid something was wrong, he whipped out his phaser.

"I remember that story," she admitted. She sounded astonished. "The monster had the head of a bull and the body of a man, and it was called a...minotaur." A vague memory crept up on her. She remembered her parents reading to her, weaving fantastical tales of days long past to keep her entertained on The Raven. It was a hazy, fleeting memory. As quickly as it appeared in her mind, it was gone, along with the faces of her parents. Seven mentally grasped at the memory, willing it to come back, even for a few seconds longer, but it was gone. Tom stopped to think about what she said. Yes, that sounded familiar. Stories such as that weren't his area of expertise, but that sounded about right to him. Seven shook her head and waved off the comment. They needed to focus, not take a trip down memory lane. It would only serve to distract them. "The story is irrelevant. We do not have any supplies, and it is imperative that we find a way out of here." Given the severity of the situation, she had to keep her mind clear and focus all of her energy on getting them out of here.

Harry felt like he was disappointing Chakotay as he returned to the cave with only half a dozen rations in his arms. Tricorder out, Chakotay stared at the small screen as he carefully scanned the debris from the cave in. There had to be some sort of weakness here, a way to get through the other side or at least communicate with them. As of right now, there wasn't even a way for them to know if Tom and Seven were alright, which was the worst part. Once he knew the status of the rest of the away team, he would be able to relax and think of a way to save them. The tricorder told Chakotay the last thing he wanted to hear. The rocks had formed a solid barrier, there was no way to get past it or even loosen it. They would have to find some other way to rescue them.

Harry unceremoniously dumped the rations he had collected on the ground. With a sharp snap, Chakotay closed his tricorder and turned around. Harry didn't need to ask to know what was bothering him, his expression spoke volumes. It was useless trying to waste their time and energy on getting through to the other side this way.

"I hate to bring more bad news, Commander, but this is all I could find on the shuttle." Chakotay pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a frustrated sigh.

"That's fine," he assured. In no way did he blame Harry for this. He was doing everything he could to make the best of this situation. "We have that fruit Tom and I found yesterday. We'll just have to survive on that until Voyager arrives."

"As long as the plasma storm didn't sweep that away too," Harry muttered bitterly under his breath. It was an oddly pessimistic comment to come from Harry. He was usually the one who found the silver lining in every situation. Chakotay felt just as crestfallen as the ensign, but as senior officer, he had to keep his head up and find a way to lead his away team through this.

Harry hated feeling helpless like this. Usually any suggestions he had came from bouncing ideas back and forth with Tom. They had worked through so many precarious and difficult situations by collaborating and finding a solution together. He highly doubted that Chakotay would be willing to talk through potential ideas. He got the sense that the First Officer was too distracted by his own thoughts to try and work through Harry's ideas as well. Despite that, Harry felt that he had to suggest something. He was just as desperate to rescue Tom and Seven.

"What if we use our phasers to blast the rocks?" he suggested. It was the first idea that came to mind. Chakotay carefully thought over the suggestion. It would be a quick and efficient solution to the problem, but he also had his doubts.

"No," he finally replied. "We have no way to communicate with Tom and Seven. For all we know, they're standing right on the other side of this wall. If we blast it, they could get hurt." The words were painful to him. It was such a simple solution to their problem, and yet, it was one they couldn't use. "We'll have to find some other way to get to them." Harry hadn't expected Chakotay to go with his idea, but he felt just a little bit better having suggested at least something.

"If we can get a message to them somehow, then we could tell them to stand back." He had no idea how to do that, but it was something they could do to help once they finally got in touch with Tom and Seven. Chakotay rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. Right now they were dealing with too many ifs and not enough actual solutions.

"Our best bet would be to find another way into the cave and rescue them that way." It was the quickest and safest course of action for the time being. Harry picked up on the desperation in his voice. Essentially they were on borrowed time. There was no way of knowing if their comrades were injured or in need of any emergency supplies, not that they had much to offer them. The only silver lining was Seven's cool head and the fact that Tom was a trained field medic and incredibly resourceful. They would be able to survive, at least for a little while.

Chakotay knew he couldn't stand here forever and stare at the rock wall in front of him talking about hypothetical rescue plans that wouldn't work. If they were going to rescue Seven and Tom, they were going to need to be far more proactive. He knew Harry was looking to him to take charge and make a command decision pertaining to next steps. He pulled out his tricorder once again.

"Let's see if we can find another entrance to the cave," he announced. "Grab that canteen and put the rations in it. After whatever happened to our shuttle last night, I don't want to leave those behind." As he spoke, Chakotay grabbed the torn sleeping bag and brought it into the cave. He found a small nook to tuck it into for the time being. Hopefully that would be enough to keep it safe from whoever or whatever was out there. If not, they would truly be roughing it for the next few days.

"Yes, Sir." Relieved to finally have some sort of task to complete, Harry immediately leapt into action and shoved the rations into the empty canteen before slinging the strap over his shoulder. He was starting to feel slightly optimistic, although he knew that that was simply relief for having something to do. Once the sleeping bag was carefully stowed away, Chakotay reappeared from inside the cave.

"Keep an eye out for any signs of life," he instructed as he stalked across the former campsite with a newfound sense of purpose. "We know they're out there, and they know where we are. The sooner we find them, the better. Perhaps they know how to get into the cave." Without slowing down his pace, he brushed past Harry and lead the way to find another entrance to the cave. Harry had to scramble to keep up with the First Officer. This was a man on a mission, and he better do his best to keep up so he wasn't left behind.

Harry's tricorder beeped excitedly as he and Chakotay walked along the desert. The canteen slung across his shoulder bounced against his hip painfully as he struggled to keep up with Chakotay. He didn't bother asking him to slow down, he knew it would be an exercise in futility. All he could do was walk faster to keep up with the First Officer's long legs and powerful stride. The hot sun beat down on them unmercifully. It was already early in the morning, and it was nearly thirty degrees Celsius. It was obviously going to be another long, hot day in the sun without any reprieve. The silence was equally as stifling. Someone had to say something to break up the monotony and tension or else Harry felt like he was going to go insane.

"My tricorder is picking up a void approximately seven meters below our feet," he commented. While it wasn't the most fascinating information, it was at least something to break up the stifling silence.

"That's the cave." Chakotay's tone spoke volumes. He didn't want to talk. He was too distracted by his concern for Seven and Tom, but especially Seven. He just needed to know she was alright, then he would be able to focus more on getting them out of here and back to Voyager where this would be little more than a running joke amongst them in a matter of weeks. Oblivious to Chakotay's current mood, Harry continued to spout out his observations from his tricorder.

"That's a good sign. It means we're still walking along the cave. They could be right below our feet." The tricorder beeped, causing Harry to furrow his brows in confusion. He stopped walking. Chakotay continued walking for a few feet until he realized that Harry wasn't behind him. He stopped and turned around.

"What is it?" he inquired.

"There's a shallower void coming up." He continued to analyze the results on his tricorder before continuing, "It looks like a hole of some sort. I can't figure out how large it is, but it could be exactly what we're looking for."

"Where?" Desperation filled Chakotay's voice as thoughts of finding out the status of his away team, particularly Seven, overwhelmed him. Soon, they could potentially be reunited again.

"Approximately fifteen meters that way." That was all Chakotay needed to hear to spin around and jog in the direction Harry pointed. While he knew another entrance to the cave was nearly impossible, they would have seen it by now, a shallower void was a good sign. With any luck, they could use it to get down into the cave and continue exploring.

Chakotay skidded to a stop exactly where Harry had told him to and began to look around. At first, there appeared to be no hole, no void, nothing. Upon closer inspection, however, he finally saw what Harry had been talking about. It was hard to see, as it was covered by brush and debris from the plasma storm. There was no denying what it was though: a small hole that was approximately a square foot. Had Harry not pointed it out with the help of his tricorder, they both would have missed it and kept walking. Chakotay cleared away the brush away to get a better look. The hole went straight down. There was no way of knowing how deep it was, and it was far too small for anyone to climb down. It was a good sign though. It was a start at rescuing Tom and Seven.

Harry crouched down next to Chakotay and continued to scan the hole in the ground for any information that could help them get to Tom and Seven. He read all the results on his tricorder to himself carefully. At first, he felt excited to find this hole, but the results weren't as optimistic as he originally thought.

"The bottom is approximately five and a half meters below the surface," he stated. Even if they could make the hole bigger, there was no way for them to jump down into the cave or lift Tom and Seven out of there. It was far too deep.

"So it's too far to jump," Chakotay muttered bitterly. He couldn't believe this. Just when he thought they were catching a break, there's another snag in the plan.

"That's assuming either of us could fit." Harry meant it to be a joke, but he immediately regretted it. He could see the stress on Chakotay's face. Now wasn't the time to be making comments such as that.

"So what are we going to do?" Only one thought came to mind. Chakotay crouched over and cupped his hands over his mouth.

"Seven!" he bellowed deep into the cave. "Seven!" It certainly wasn't a conventional method, but, then again, Chakotay was hardly a conventional First Officer. With any luck, Seven or Tom would be close enough to hear his voice. They wouldn't be able to get either of them out of here, but they might be able to find out if they were alright.

As Seven and Tom walked along the cave, a strange noise caught her attention. At first, she thought she was hearing things, that the stress of her current situation was causing her to hear things. When the noise didn't subside, she realized that she wasn't hearing things. Wide eyed, her head whipped around as she tried to triangulate the source of the noise.

"Did you hear that?" she demanded. Tom froze. He hadn't heard anything, but he wasn't about to admit it. He knew better than that. Both stood frozen in place with their ears wide open, anxious to hear the noise again.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Tom finally admitted, "I don't hear anything." Seven rolled her eyes.

"That is because you won't stop talking," she hissed angrily. She was tempted to put her hand over his mouth to keep him from talking. Rather than do that, she simply held up her hand to signal him to keep quiet. A few more moments passed. Just as Seven was about to admit that she may have been mistaken, they both heard it.

"Seven!" It was Chakotay. Try as she might to suppress her emotions, Seven's eyes lit up. She rushed towards the sound of his voice, ignoring the fact that her vision in her left eye was beginning to fail once again.

Chakotay's voice grew louder as Seven ran ahead of Tom. It was a sure sign that they were headed in the right direction. A few hours in a cave wasn't as bad as it could have been now that Chakotay had rescued them. They would be able to return to the real reason they were here, finding whoever sent out the distress call and helping them before returning to Voyager.

"Chakotay!" she called. Her sensors weren't picking up anything. There should be something here to signal that he was in the cave, but there was no sign of him anywhere. No sign except his voice that is.

"Seven, I'm up here." She skidded to a stop, and her head whipped around wildly as she attempted to figure out what was going on. Chakotay's voice came from this spot, but there was no sign of him anywhere. A few feet in front of her, a single shaft of light streamed down from above. Figuring that it was the only way for him to be above her, she stumbled under the light and looked up. The bright light nearly blinded her, causing her to shield her eyes and turn away for several seconds. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked up once again. Sure enough, hovering above her head, was Chakotay.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Given how high he was above the cave and the darkness below, Chakotay could barely see Seven. Her fair hair caught the sunlight, glimmering against the dark backdrop, and that's how he knew it was her. She stood just off to the side beneath the hole and looked up with a quizzical expression on her face. Harry crouched down across the hole from Chakotay. He didn't hover over the hole though, there was only enough space for one of them to look down it at a time, and he could tell that the First Officer was eager to make sure everyone was alright.

"Seven, are you alright?" he pressed earnestly.

"I am undamaged," Seven replied evenly. Harry couldn't help but notice how calm she sounded given her current situation. Of course, if there was anyone who could remain so perfectly calm while being trapped in a cave, it would be her.

"Don't worry, Commander, I'm alright too," Tom teased as he appeared next to Seven with a smug look on his face. "Thanks for asking."

"Well isn't that a weight off my shoulders," Chakotay teased. "So you're both alright?"

"Yes, Sir," Tom confirmed. "What the hell happened?"

"The plasma storm caused a cave in," Chakotay replied. Tom couldn't help but roll his eyes. He was glad that the First Officer couldn't see it, not that he thought he would say anything about it.

"Well we figured that part out on our own," he griped. "Are you going to rescue us?"

"That's what we've been trying to do. If you stay where you are, we can use our phasers to blast through the rocks and get you out of there," Harry assured. "We should have you out of there within the hour." It was an easy plan, and then they would be able to focus on the real reason they're here: to help whoever sent out the distress call.

"That would be unwise," Seven interjected. "I have carefully analyzed the cave, and using any phasers will further damage its structural integrity." Chakotay's heart sank. The solution had seemed too good to be true, and he was right. Tom sighed. So much for getting them out of there within the hour.

"Okay, so what solution do you have?" he asked. His voice had an edge to it that gave away the fact that he was frustrated. If Seven disregarded their only solution to get them out of there, the least she could do was offer another more plausible solution.

"We will need to find another way out." So far, he hadn't heard any solutions from her, just more problems. "Based on our exploration of the region yesterday, there are caves scattered all across the region. I believe that these caves are connected."

"Oh that shouldn't be too hard," Tom commented sarcastically. "It's like a labyrinth down here, Commander. Each cave branches off to dozens of other cave. We'd be down here for weeks searching for the right cave to get out of here. We have no supplies. We'd be dead within a week."

"Commander, if you could give us some of the supplies meant for the rescue mission, we would be better provisioned for a long stay down here." Chakotay rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He had no idea how to come clean and admit that everything was gone.

"Uhh, that's not going to be very easy," Harry admitted hesitantly. Confusion flashed across Seven's face. While she understood that the supplies they brought were designated for whoever sent the distress call, now they were in need of some rescuing. It would be perfectly understandable to use those supplies for themselves. It would would be a wise to use at least some of the supplies accordingly.

"Why? What happened?" Tom questioned. Last night when searching through the shuttle for the missing tents, he saw everything in there. It was fully stocked with everything they could possibly need to survive for the long haul here; everything except tents that is.

"Someone broke into the shuttle," Chakotay replied. "Everything's gone." Further confusion flashed across Seven's face. That didn't make any sense. The plasma storm had made being outside dangerous. It would have been unwise and incredibly dangerous to venture out into a plasma storm. Additionally, there was no way the plasma storm could have somehow swept everything out of the shuttle, it had been sealed tight.

"Could it have been whoever sent the distress call?" she inquired. She knew it hadn't been any of them, so this seemed like the only logical cause. Harry shrugged.

"We don't know. Our main focus has been finding you guys, not figuring out who took out stuff."

"Well, you have located us. Your next course of action should be to find who sent the distress call while we find a way out of this cave," Seven stated. Chakotay hid his amusement. He knew giving orders were second nature to her, so he didn't take it as a personal affront; it was simply her personality.

"With what supplies?" Tom snapped bitterly. He was already starting to feel restless here. Seven made it sound like it was easy to get out of here, but the lack of supplies definitely made their situation more difficult. "We just established that we wouldn't survive down here. We don't even know if the water down here is safe enough to drink." Seven knew he was right. It would be highly improbable that they could survive more than a few days down here without water, and even if they had safe water, they didn't have food. Their bodies could only survive so long without the basic necessities.

Sighing, Chakotay rolled back on his heels. As commanding officer of this away mission, he needed to collect his thoughts and find some sort of solution to this problem. They had virtually no supplies, no communication with _Voyager_ for the next week and half the away team was trapped in an underground labyrinth of caves. His time at the Academy and his time with the Maquis didn't prepare him for anything like this. He wondered what Kathryn would do, but he couldn't for the life of him think of what she would do. This was such a rare occurrence. Deep down inside, he knew Seven and Tom were right; they would need some sort of supplies to survive while they searched for some way out of the cave. While they could drop food down through the hole without any problem, they would need a tricorder as well. Thankfully, eh and Harry each had one. They could share one and give the other to Seven and Tom without a problem. The issue was getting the tricorder down to them. Tricorders were sturdy, but definitely not sturdy enough to survive the drop down to the bottom of the cave. There had to be some sort of solution. Compared to everything else going on, this seemed like a relatively small problem, but it would provide them with the ability to find fresh water and potentially a way out of the caves.

Like Chakotay, Harry was trying to think of a solution to this problem. Unfortunately, nothing immediately came to mind. He knew they would need to get Tom and Seven help somehow. If they got the supplies they needed to survive, he knew the pair were smart enough to work together and find a way out of there on their own. Suddenly, an idea dawned on him.

"Commander, we can weave together some thin branches from those bushes and use them to make a rope to lower the canteen with food and supplies down," he suggested. It was so simple, he couldn't figure out why he hadn't thought of it sooner. Chakotay carefully pondered the idea. His eyes scanned the bushes that dotted the landscape around him. His survivalist mindset immediately set in as he analyzed them to determine if any of them were suitable to make a rope out of. He figured he would be able to come up with something with the limited materials available.

"I agree." He leaned over to share the plan with Tom and Seven who stood below with curious expressions on their faces. They had no idea what was going on up on the surface, it was impossible for them to hear. "We're going to make a rope to lower the canteen down. We have a few rations we'll share with you and one of our tricorders. I want you to scan the water down there. If it's unsafe, we'll get you water from up here."

"Aye, Sir."

"We'll rendezvous here in an hour." While it wasn't the best plan, and it did absolutely nothing to get Tom and Seven out of the cave, at least they could get some supplies to survive while they tried to think of a better plan. It was better than nothing.

Chakotay lead the way as he and Harry gathered whatever pliable branches they could find to weave together. They carefully bent and twisted their branches to find ones that were sufficient. This was far easier said than done, as the desert produced mostly dry, brittle branches that snapped as soon as the men attempted to bend them. They did manage to find a collection of sturdy, pliable branches that Chakotay felt confident he could weave together to make a rope that would be sufficient. He just hoped that they had found enough branches to weave together, this rope needed to be pretty long.

As much as he hated to admit it, Harry was rusty on his survival skills. As soon as he sat down to weave the branches together across from Chakotay, he was at a loss as to what to do. Chakotay, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease with the task. His fingers flew across the tender branches in record time, and it wasn't long until he had a rope that was roughly twelve feet long in front of him. The rope seemed to grow out of thin air, flying forth from his tanned fingers and draping across the dusty ground in front of him as he sat cross legged and focused intently on the task. His dark brows knit together with extreme concentration, determined to do something to help Seven and Tom.

"I'm not very good at this," Harry admitted as yet another branch snapped in his hands. He tossed it to the side where there was a growing pile of rejected branches.

"Someone needs to brush up on his survivalist training," Chakotay teased. Although he was trying to lighten the mood, his tone gave away the fact that he was still stressed about everything going on with this away mission.

"I'll add it to my list of things to do," Harry quipped dryly. He barely had time to play his clarinet anymore, let alone take the time to learn how to survive out in the wilderness. Situations like this were so rare that it wasn't even worth it to him.

"If you can't help make the rope, then gather some of the fruit we ate for dinner last night. Rations won't be enough to sustain them."

"Aye, Sir." Glad to finally be free from trying and utterly failing to make the rope, Harry grabbed the canteen and went in search of the fruit. At least now he could be helpful doing something, even if that something was as simple as gathering fruit.

Ten minutes later, Harry returned to Chakotay's side with the canteen nearly full to the top with the small fruit. The bushes around here had been overwhelmed with them, giving him the impression that there wasn't anyone around to collect them. That further added to the mystery of where they were, because he knew someone had to be near here because they had broken into the shuttle. Harry's timing was perfect, because Chakotay was just about done with making the rope. He tied off the end of his rope and stood up. His legs ached as they adjusted to supporting his weight after sitting on the hard ground.

"Here, take this end and give it a pull," he directed as he handed Harry one end of the rope. Both men firmly grasped their end of the rope and pulled as hard as they could. Anyone passing by would have thought they were playing tug of war. The rope withstood the abuse without any problems. If it could handle two grown men pulling on it, then it could handle holding a simple canteen full of supplies.

Harry unshouldered the canteen and handed it off to Chakotay tied it off. He gave the rope another firm tug to make sure the knot was tight enough. The last thing he wanted to happen was for the knot to come undone, dropping the canteen in the process. They tossed half of the rations and a tricorder into the canteen on top of the fruit. The new additions ensured that the canteen was full to the top and nearly overflowing now. They were right on time to rendezvous with Tom and Seven. When they appeared at the hole, they could hear Seven and Tom talking down below. Neither man could tell what they were saying, all they could hear was the lilt of Seven's voice, followed by the deeper rumble of Tom's voice.

"Watch your head," Harry warned as he carefully lowered the canteen down below, essentially cutting off the conversation between Tom and Seven as they waited for their supplies to reappear.

"I want you to use the tricorder check the water supply you have down there. We'll wait here," Chakotay ordered. He hoped the water they found was safe to drink, as it would only complicate the matter even more if they didn't have fresh water to drink. It was one thing to provide them with food to eat, but it was another matter altogether to have to provide them with enough water every day to drink.

Tom and Seven moved to the side as they watched Harry lower the canteen to them below. It was a slow process. Harry didn't know how the rope would hold up, not that he doubted Chakotay's rope making ability, and he didn't want to accidentally spill anything, especially the tricorder. The canteen temporarily blocked the sunlight from streaming down below, which gave them a brief reprieve from the brightness. It came to a stop almost directly at eye level with the duo, the rope was the perfect length. Seven retrieved the tricorder and turned on the device. In her mind, the piece of machinery was far more important than the rations. At this time, neither of them required nourishment, but they did need safe drinking water, which the tricorder could help them find.

"Yes, Commander." She analyzed the results on the tricorder.. "I will return momentarily." With that being said, she disappeared back in the direction of the water she and Tom had found earlier in the day.

Tom watched Seven until she disappeared from sight to follow Chakotay's orders. Although his eyes were finally adjusting to the darkness, he still had pretty limited visibility down here. It made the cave even eerier than it already was. Although he was certain there was no one else down here, there was no way to be sure. Anyone or anything could be hiding in the shadows, and they would have absolutely no idea. Thankfully, now they had a tricorder, which would help them scan their surroundings and hopefully find a safe and quick way out of here. Tom knew that with the help of her optical implant, Seven had far better eyesight down here, which meant she was the obvious choice to go back to the water.

Seven walked in her usual quick stride towards the water source she and Tom had come across earlier that day. As she walked, a ringing began in her ears. At first, it was obnoxious but something she could easily ignore. Gradually, it became louder until it forced her to stop. She momentarily leaned against the wall of the cave and pressed her forehead against the cool stone, attempting to regain herself and put an end to the now piercing sound that swirled around her. She knew what the ringing meant: she needed to regenerate. It was her body telling her that she was starting to run low. She'd experienced these early symptoms once or twice, usually when when she was too focused on her work at astrometrics, but she never let it get past this. Usually these symptoms were easy to fix, but that wasn't the case now. The additional stress of her current situation probably wasn't helping the matter. Despite that, there was nothing she could do about it but ignore the discomfort and press on. Chakotay had given her orders, and she had to follow through with them no matter how she felt. Finding water for her and Tom was far more important than the fact that she needed to regenerate in the next few days. She would adapt, she always did.

Back at the hole, Tom, Harry and Chakotay all waited for Seven to return from her task. Tom hoped that the water they found was drinkable, because it would certainly make their lives easier.

Unable to stand the silence, he looked up at Harry and Chakotay and asked, "So what did you guys do to my shuttle?" There was a slightly joking tone to his question. He desperately needed to do something to lighten the mood, even just a little bit.

"We returned after the plasma storm, and the hatch was blasted off," Chakotay responded. It was obvious that he was feeling the pressure of leading this stressful away mission.

"Were there any signs of who did it?" Harry shook his head.

"Tricorder scans didn't pick up any signs of proteins," he replied. Confusion flashed across Tom's face. Even if the tricorder encountered proteins from an unknown alien race, it would still pick up those proteins. There should have been something left behind.

"That doesn't make any sense," he blurted out bluntly. "There should be some sort of signs of whoever was there."

"That's what we thought too," Chakotay commented. "But there's nothing there." Tom sighed. Nothing about this place made sense. Ever since they got here, they were met with one unexplainable phenomenon after another.

"Commander, I hate to say it, but I don't have a good feeling about this planet at all," he admitted. "Nothing here makes sense. It goes against everything we've been taught to prepare for." Now it was Chakotay's turn to sigh, but Tom was too far away to hear it. Harry wasn't. For a moment, more worry lines seemed to crease across the First Officer's face.

"I agree, Tom," he finally said.

The sound of Seven's heels clicking in her typically quick pace against the stone floor drew Tom's attention and told him that she was returning from checking the water. It wasn't until she was a few meters away did he finally see her.

"The water is potable," she announced as she closed the tricorder and handed it to Tom who put it in the holster on his hip.

"So I could have drank it earlier." Seven looked unamused by his attempt to lighten the mood. This wasn't the place for humor. They had to focus on survival, not making jokes.

"That would have been highly unwise. We had no way of knowing the safety of the water until a few moments ago. Are you always this reckless?" As soon as she asked the question, she knew the answer, anyone on _Voyager_ could have answered that question without so much as a second thought.

"Yes," Harry and Chakotay replied in unison from up above. Tom rolled his eyes. He didn't think of himself as reckless, just brave and daring. He had a feeling that B'Elanna would disagree, but she wasn't here right now.

"We have digressed. The water is potable, which means we have sufficient supplies for right now to find an exit to the cave."

"Seven, if you can't find any way out of the cave, I want you to meet us back here at 1800 hours with a status update. We'll give you more food for the night then too," Chakotay instructed. He didn't like the thought of the pair being stuck in the cave overnight, but they needed to have a plan just in case.

"And what if we have found a way out of the cave?" Seven inquired.

"Then meet us at the camp. If we don't see you here at 1800 hours, then we're going to assume that you've found a way out of the cave. Understood?"

"Yes, Commander." Tom nodded in agreement. He hoped that when 1800 hours came around, they wouldn't be stuck in this cave but instead outside and reunited with the rest of the away team. Based on what he already saw down here in the caves, he had a feeling that it was a longshot though.

Tom fell into step alongside Seven as they wove their ways through the caves. With the small trickle of sunlight from the hole in the ceiling long gone, he was now relying on her eyesight to get them through the caves safely. It felt like forever since they parted ways with Harry and Chakotay. There was no real way for him to know how long had passed

"Are you sure we haven't been down this way before?" he asked. While it was a perfectly reasonable question, it was the fifth time he'd asked it in the past hour. Everywhere down here looked the same to him. For all he knew, they could have been walking in circles, and he would have been none the wiser.

"I have an eidetic memory," Seven replied with an undeniable confidence in her voice that told Tom that she wasn't pleased with being questioned. "I can assure you that we haven't been down this section of caves before."

"Are you sure? I mean, they all look the same." Seven stopped walking.

"If you are not confident in my navigational abilities, then I suggest you wait back at the rendezvous point until I return."

"And let you have all the fun? Not a chance." Tom continued walking. He didn't get very far before the cave branched off in two directions. He knew they had already been down one of the caves before, he simply didn't know which one. He glanced over his shoulder to where Seven stood a few feet behind him and could barely make out the amused expression on her face. She crossed her arms over her chest. Her body language spoke volumes. He was going to have to pick which way to go. His eyes flitted back and forth between the two caves. For the life of him, he couldn't remember which one they had already been down. Each second seemed to stretch on, and he knew he had to make a decision. He knew he had a 50/50 shot of picking the right cave, which weren't terrible odds. He sucked it up and randomly chose the cave to his left.

Tom had barely taken a few steps into the cave when Seven said, "We've already been that way." He turned around. Of course he would pick the wrong way.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"You had to make a decision on your own. Besides, you seemed confidence in your navigational abilities. Clearly you're better suited to navigating starships." Tom rolled his eyes. The sarcasm sounded odd coming from her, he wasn't used to her unusual sense of humor. Besides, it only showed up once in awhile and without warning. He hoped they got out of here and quick, because he was pretty sure Seven's goal in life right now was to be as difficult as possible. "We should continue."

"Lead the way," Tom said as he motioned for Seven to take the lead. After what just happened, he was just going to follow her lead. If he ended up getting lost down here, then it would only make matters worse.

While Tom and Seven searched for an exit to the cave below the surface, Harry and Chakotay searched up above them for a way out for them to get out of the caves. As cold and dark as it was below the earth, it was just as bright and blazing hot above. Having given one of their tricorders to Seven and Tom, Harry and Chakotay had to share the remaining one. Harry kept his eyes glued to the device as Chakotay lead the way. They continued to walk above the surface of the cave, but they couldn't find any more holes or entrances.

"Any sign of anything?" Chakotay questioned with a faint glimmer of hope in his voice. Harry shook his head dejectedly.

"I'm sorry, Sir. It looks like the cave is getting deeper." The First Officer scowled. That was the last thing he wanted to hear right now. He had hoped that the cave would be ascending towards the surface. They were getting further away from Seven and Tom. If anything, this was little more than an exercise in futility.

"Let's head back to the rendezvous point." He hated the thought of heading back, almost like he was giving up for the day, but he had to think about himself and Harry as well. "We're going to be running out of light soon." Last night, Chakotay hadn't been worried about being out after dark, but now with their limited supplies and the fact that their shuttle had been broken into made him edgy about nightfall. There was no way to know who or what was out there that was causing this damage.

As Chakotay lead the way back to the rendezvous point, he silently prayed that Seven and Tom wouldn't be there. If they weren't there, that meant that they found a way out of the cave and were on their way back to their original campsite. It felt like a lifetime since he saw Seven face to face, although it hadn't even been twenty-four hours. The fact that he couldn't get anywhere near her and hold her in his arms was killing him. While it had been reassuring to hear her voice and see her from a distance, he wanted to hold her close and kiss her. To hell with Starfleet regulations, his emotions were starting to get the better of him already.

When Chakotay and Harry arrived at the hole, they both crouched down on either side of it. The sun overhead had already began to set, sending long shadows across the desert and causing the temperature to start to drop. It was starting to get cold. After seeing if Tom and Seven showed up, they would need to return to their own camp, start and fire and prepare some sort of meal with whatever they could find. The desert around them was eerily silent. It put them both on edge, because they knew that somewhere out there was whoever ransacked the shuttle. It was a sobering realization. While the thought consumed both of them while they anxiously waited for Tom and Seven, neither of them openly admitted it.

As they walked, Seven carefully analyzed the landscape within the cave to find the best place to make camp for the night. The task was made more difficult by the ringing that persisted in her ear and the sharp pain jabbing into her temple next to her optical implant. She brushed her fingers along her temple but otherwise did her best to ignore the pain and function normally. It was the first signs that she needed to regenerate, and she knew they would only continue as time progressed. There was nothing she could do about the pain though, so all she could do was ignore it and continue with her job. Right now, that included finding a place to make camp and settle in for what could be a difficult night..

"I believe the best place for camp tonight would be near the cave-in," she told Tom. He looked over at her. He hadn't even started thinking about where to make camp for the night, he was still hoping that they would find a way out of here before they had to rendezvous with Harry and Chakotay.

"Wouldn't it make more sense to sleep near the hole?" he pointed out. "That way we can quickly get to the supplies from Harry and Chakotay without having to go anywhere." She shook her head in disagreement.

"The hole is near where three separate tunnels come together. This would leave us open to attack. By setting up camp near the cave-in, nobody will be able to sneak up on us." It was such a logical move not to set up camp near the cave, she couldn't believe Tom hadn't seen it. She kept any cynical comments to herself though, they wouldn't help the situation.

"Who's going to sneak up on us, Seven? We've been all over these caves, and we haven't come across a single person. We're all alone down here." That was a sobering thought. There was nobody down here to help them or guide them. They were on their own.

"No, we have only explored a small percentage of the caves. You can sleep near the hole if you want, but I will be making camp near the cave-in." Tom sighed. He wasn't going to argue with her. He could tell that this wasn't a fight he was going to win, and it would be unsafe for them to separate. It looked like he would be sleeping near the cave-in.

"Fine," he relented. Seven could easily tell that he was displeased based on his tone. Ignoring his displeasure, she smiled smugly. She knew they had made the right decision, and he would see that in due time.

The distant sound of voices and the distinct sound of Seven's heels clicking against the stone floor caught the attention of Chakotay and Harry. Chakotay's heart immediately sank. He'd hoped more than anything not to see Tom and Seven here, because it meant they had found a way out of the cave. Yet, they were stuck there, at least until tomorrow. The voices grew louder until Tom's face appeared down below. Due to the setting sun, it was harder to see down below than before.

"Commander," Tom greeted with a polite nod.

Rather than beat around the bush, Chakotay asked, "No luck?"

"Well, we did find a way out, but we decided that we love it so much down here, we're just going to stay for a few days," the Lieutenant replied sarcastically. Chakotay's expression told him that he definitely wasn't in the mood for such comments, and he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Negative," Seven replied as she appeared next to Tom. She clearly looked unamused by his humor; now wasn't the time for such comments. While she did her best to keep her emotions in check, Chakotay knew her well enough to pick up on the subtle hints in her voice. She was just as disappointed as he was. Neither would admit it aloud though. They had to keep moving forward and find a solution to the problem.

"Looks like you guys are going to have to rough it in the cave tonight," he commented.

"Well damn, that sucks," Tom said. "You guys didn't have any luck either?"

"I'm afraid not," Chakotay replied.

"As we walked, we found that the caves got deeper," Harry added.

"Not exactly the news we wanted to hear," Tom teased.

"Well it's not like you guys were successful either."

"Okay you two, finish this argument later," Chakotay interrupted. "Right now, we need to get you guys supplies for the night and go make camp for ourselves." He started to pull up the rope attached to the canteen, carefully bringing it up to their level. It was empty. He untied it and pressed it into Harry's hands. "Fill this with fruit for them to eat tonight."

"Aye, Sir." Harry slung the strap over his shoulder and disappeared a few yards away to start hunting for the fruit.

"We're going to get you some fruit and firewood for the night. It's going to get cold in there tonight, so I want you guys to be careful."

"We can handle ourselves," Tom assured.

"Commander, did you find any signs of who sent the distress call?" Seven asked. She hadn't forgotten the real reason they were on this planet. Despite their current situation, there was still someone out there somewhere who also needed their help, perhaps even more than they did.

"We didn't find any signs of anyone; not whoever sent the distress call nor whoever damaged the shuttle."

"I hate to say it, but this may have been some sort of trick to get us here," Tom stated. Chakotay sighed. The same thought had been building up inside of him all day, but he didn't want to admit it. If he did, that meant admitting that he and the Captain had put the lives of some of the senior-most staff in grave jeopardy all for nothing. Now that To said it, however, he might as well acknowledge the idea.

"You may be right," Chakotay admitted dejectedly. "But until we know for certain, we are still going to act under the assumption that someone out there needs our help."

"How can we provide help if we don't have anything ourselves?"

"I don't know." This was starting to become a far more complex away mission than they originally intended. He figured he and Harry could look for the origins of the distress call as Seven and Tom tried to navigate their way out of the caves, but the idea didn't sit well with him. With both pairs working to find a way out of the cave, they had a better chance at finding a way out.

Once Chakotay made sure Tom and Seven had everything they needed, he found that he could take himself away from the hole and, by extension, Seven. At least when he was with her here, he knew she was safe. It wasn't that he didn't trust her survival abilities, he just liked knowing that she was safe. Sensing that the First Officer wanted some space, Harry silently excused himself and began to walk across the desert. After such a long day, both physically and emotionally, the least he could do is gather some fruit for dinner for themselves and wood for a fire. The least he could do was give him a tiny bit of privacy during this difficult situation. Chakotay had a feeling that Harry purposefully left him alone, although he didn't say anything about it.

In the darkness of the cave down below, Tom also got the sense that Seven wanted to take a few moments to talk to Chakotay. He could see the glimmer of excitement in her eyes when she looked up at the First Officer. It was faint, but definitely there. When he looked up at Chakotay, he could see the excitement and anticipation built up inside of him too. He pulled off his outer tunic and used it to gather up the fruit and wood to carry back to their camp alongside the cave in. It was roughly a ten minute walk with the awkwardly shaped bundle clutched in his hand, but he figured he could manage. Before disappearing from sight, he glanced back at Seven, who barely gave him the time of day now that she had a few minutes alone with Chakotay.

Finally alone, Chakotay was able to relax, at least a little bit. His shoulders slumped slightly in a way they only did when he was with Seven. No longer was he the First Officer leading a difficult away mission but a man spending a few precious minutes with his girlfriend. It still put him on edge that Seven was stuck in that cave, but at least now they had a few moments to themselves to speak openly. While it wasn't the same as the privacy of his quarters, but it was all they were going to get.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, although he knew Seven well enough to predict her answer.

"I am undamaged," she replied. Her response caused him to crack a small smile. He hadn't meant for her to take him so literally. He could see that she was undamaged, but there was so much more that went into her welfare, especially given the current situation.

"I can see that you're fine physically, but I'm talking about mentally. Are you feeling stressed? Are you worried at all?"

"I am Borg, I don't get stressed." She paused for a moment. That was a lie and both of them knew it. He'd seen her stressed, although those moments were few and far between. "But I am worried." His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected her to talk so candidly. "I can see that you are stressed, and that is what is worrying me. I am undamaged, and so is Tom. We will find a way out, and _Voyager_ will rescue us." Chakotay had to admit that it was flattering to know that Seven was more concerned about him than her own well being. At the same time, it was a sobering realization. He hated that he was causing her to worry.

"We just have to get through the next few days," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear.

"We have endured worse."

"Yeah, we have," Chakotay whispered with a small nod. As much as he hated it, he knew he had to get going. It wasn't fair to leave Harry to set up the entire camp for the night, especially since the Ensign had openly admitted earlier that he had no idea what he was doing. "Seven." Her head jerked up to look at him properly. "I lo-" As soon as the words were on his lips, Chakotay swallowed them. Now wasn't the time to make an admission like this. They needed to be together, face to face, where he could gauge her reaction before moving forward. Confused, Seven tilted her head to the side. Her heart momentarily fluttered as she put together the pieces and figured out what Chakotay was about to tell her. Her mind whirled as she tried to think of what she would have said to him. She didn't know. Thankfully, she didn't have to react to it, as he continued, "I'll see you at 0800 hours."

"I will be here for further directions." Her gaze lingered on his face for a few moments. One of them had to be the one to break the gaze they shared. Seven hated it, but it was necessary. With a sinking feeling building up inside of her, she looked away and walked back to camp.

As Seven walked back to the temporary camp that Tom was setting up, her mind drifted back to Chakotay. She felt completely justified in worrying about him; she knew this situation was stressful for him, although that wasn't her only concern. She also worried about his safety up on the surface of this strange planet. She and Tom were fortunate enough to be in the cave, which offered them some protection from the elements and whoever summoned them here in the first place. On the surface, however, there was someone out there who broke into the shuttle and stole all their supplies, which was an incredibly unsettling thought. Clearly this was someone who had no scruples, and that caused Seven to worry more than anything else. Who is to say they wouldn't come back in the middle of the night and do something worse than break into the shuttle and steal some supplies? The thought made her feel unnerved. It was an odd sensation; something she wasn't accustomed to. These emotions she felt towards Chakotay were still a strange phenomenon to her, but something she was growing accustomed to. Feeling such strong concern for someone caused her to feel torn on this unusual away mission. Logically, she knew that she should be more concerned about her and Tom's well being in this cave, but her mind continued to drift to Chakotay and his safety. Although it was a strange sensation, she knew what caused it. Her emotions for Chakotay were growing stronger and stronger with each passing moment, even when she wasn't with him.

After a particularly unfulfilling meal of fruit and rations, Tom and Seven settled around the fire. He carelessly tossed a few extra branches onto the dying fire, causing it to sputter and leap to life once again, sending warm light bouncing off the cool, damp walls of the cave. Letting out a sigh of contentment, he leaned against the wall. There was no way to know what time it was, but based on how tired he currently felt, he had a feeling that it was getting late in the day. Then again, between pulling doubles and his infant daughter, his sleep schedule was hardly consistent. Thoughts of Miral sent a sharp pang of despair and concern through his heart. He hoped B'Elanna was doing fine without him, neither of them had been away from their small family since Miral's birth. He knew he shouldn't have agreed to this away mission, something told him that from the very beginning, but he hadn't dared argue with the Captain, at the time, it had seemed like such a simple away mission. Now he wondered if he would ever see his girls again. Tom quickly banished the thought and mentally chastised himself for being ridiculous. Of course he would. The crew would realize that something was wrong as soon as the away team didn't return at its designated time and that would be all the Captain would need to send someone after them. They just had to wait until then.

Tom bent his knee and draped his arm along it casually. For a few moments, he stared at the flames a few feet away from him. The warmth wrapped around him, almost comforting him despite their current situation.

"So how long have you and Commander Chakotay been together?" he blurted out. He hadn't intended to ask, but the question had been building up inside of him all day until it finally boiled over. The question caught Seven off guard. Her eyes flitted up and quickly narrowed with anger and frustration. The least Tom could do was try to be more subtle, although she knew that subtlety wasn't exactly his strongest suit.

"I hardly see how that is any of your business," she snapped haughtily.

"You're right, it's not my business," Tom reasoned with a careless shrug. "I'm just curious." The conversation almost died then and there, but now Seven had a question of her own that she simply couldn't hold in.

"What makes you think Commander Chakotay and I are…'together'?" With the exception of Ensign Kim's unexpected visit to Chakotay's quarters the other night, they had done their best to be careful and discrete. If the Captain hadn't been able to pick up on their relationship while on _Voyager_ , then she doubted that Tom would be able to put all the pieces together.

"Well, the first thing Chakotay asked as soon as we got in touch with him was if you're alright," Tom replied.

"Commander Chakotay's concern for my well-being hardly means we are in some sort of relationship."

"And I saw you guys talking last night when he had watch."

"I don't require as much sleep as other humans, so I decided to keep Commander Chakotay company. Besides, I have better sight than him, which would make me an asset during watch duty." Seven was starting to get frustrated. She felt that she didn't need to justify any of her actions to Tom. Besides they were all completely innocent, little more than a question and a few moments together around a campfire.

"Plus Harry told me about the other night," Tom added bluntly. He wanted to see if she would be able to find a logical explanation for that one. Based on her reaction, she didn't. Seven clenched her jaw. She hadn't expected Harry to be a gossip, especially so quickly, although it was to be expected since he and Tom were practically joined at the hip.

"Ensign Kim needs to learn to keep his mouth shut," she snapped.

"So it's true?" Tom pressed eagerly. His eyes immediately lit up at the prospect of the ship's First Officer being romantically involved with the last person he ever expected. Thoughts of the Doctor's little dating experiment a few years ago immediately came to mind. He wasn't even sure that Chakotay had been a prospective date for Seven at the time. It was a surprising and amusing realization.

"Once again, I hardly see how that is any of your business." This time Seven's tone told him that the conversation was over, but her reaction spoke volumes. She all but confirmed what he already knew.

"Alright," Tom relented as he pulled off the grey long sleeved shirt underneath his outer tunic, revealing a t-shirt. The flimsy fabric hugged the muscles on his arms. The t-shirt left nothing to the imagination as he pulled his tunic back on. While he normally slept in a t-shirt, he knew that it simply wasn't possible. The temperature around them was already dropping, and he had a feeling that it was just going to get colder as the night progressed. "Keep your little secrets." He balled up the grey shirt as a makeshift pillow. "If you're not going to come clean, then I'm going to get some sleep." The second he laid down, Tom knew he wasn't going to get much sleep. He was essentially sleeping on solid rock with a piece of thin, balled up fabric as a pillow. With any luck, they'd be out of here tomorrow, although it wasn't like Chakotay and Harry were living in the lap of luxury outside.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

A sudden idea jolted Harry from his sleep without any warning. His eyes flew open, and he looked around with a confused look on his face as he tried to figure out where he was. It took him a few moments to realize that he and Chakotay were asleep in the cave. A plasma storm after dinner had forced them here for safety, and they'd decided that it was far safer than outside with the sudden onset of storms at random intervals. Harry ran his fingers through his hair and reoriented himself as he collected his thoughts. The idea that had woken him up started to slip away like a wisp of smoke from the smoldering embers from the fire a few feet away from him. Mentally, he grasped at it, willing it to come back before it was gone forever. He knew it must have been a good idea if it forced him from his sleep. The more he forced the idea to stay with him, however, the more it seemed to escape him, as if it didn't want to be brought into fruition, which only frustrated him even more.

Right as Harry was about to give up and go back to sleep in the hopes that that would bring the idea back, the idea came rushing back to him with full force as if it had never tried to escape him in the first place. Once it was in his mind, he thankfully knew it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. It was all so simple, he had no idea why it had taken him this long to think of it in the first place. As operations officer, he actually felt ashamed that he hadn't thought of it earlier. The interference from the cave prevented them from using the transporter on the shuttle to rescue Tom and Seven. With the newfound hole, however, the signal from the transporter would be able to get to the pair, as long as they were standing right underneath the hole. While it wouldn't get them in contact with _Voyager_ , at least then the away team would all be together, and they could turn their attention back to finding whoever sent out the distress call. It was a fairly straightforward plan that they would be able to try out almost immediately after meeting Tom and Seven in the morning. Harry couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it earlier. They had been so focused on finding another way into the cave that they had overlooked the simplest of solutions.

Eager to get started on his new and exciting idea, Harry scrambled to his feet. In his haste to get out of the cave, he nearly tripped over Chakotay, who was fast asleep a few feet away from him. Undisturbed by Harry's excitement, the First Officer snored softly as he continued to sleep. Harry had no idea when Chakotay had fallen asleep. When he'd woken up a few hours earlier, he'd seen him sitting vigil next to the debris from the cave-in, almost willing the rocks to disappear. Unfortunately, the rocks were still there, separating them from the rest of their team. Sometime between then and now, he had obviously dozed off, which Harry was actually thankful for. If they were going to rescue Tom and Seven, then both of them would need to be well rested and at their peak physical and mental game, which wouldn't happen if Chakotay was only running on an hour or two of sleep.

As Harry burst outside of the cave, the first rays of morning started to trickle over the horizon, bathing the environment in an early morning haze that chased away the cool air swirling around him. Part of him wondered if he should have pulled on the outer tunic and grey under shirt of his uniform, which was still crumpled up in the cave where he had used it as a pillow, but then he remembered how hot it was yesterday, and he knew he wouldn't need it for very long. In the distance he could just barely make out the outline of the shuttle. From where he stood, it looked exactly the same, which was a good sign. The hatch was still blasted off, just like yesterday, mocking him. Even when they got Tom and Seven out of the cave and to safety, they wouldn't even be able to get out of here. They would have to wait for _Voyager_ to realize that they weren't at the rendezvous point and double back for them, which could add a few extra days to their mission at the very least. None of that deterred Harry from trying to get the pair out from the cave though. At least then, they'd all be together to figure out what to do next.

When Harry entered the shuttle, he immediately got the overwhelming sense that something was wrong. He automatically grabbed his phaser and did a quick sweep of the small craft to ensure that nobody else was in the vessel. The lack of light in some parts of the shuttle made him wary, but he found that nobody was there, which was a huge relief for him. With some hesitation, he returned his phaser to its holster and immediately went to the transporter panel to put the early stages of his plan into action. As soon as he saw the panel, however, his heart sank. Since he and Chakotay had last been in the shuttle, someone had tried to remove the panel from the wall. This resulted in the panel to crack as the person who had tried to do this was completely inexperienced in the inner workings of this shuttle. When Harry tapped the panel, it beeped pathetically and flashed for a few moments before turning off. Swearing under his breath, he tried again. This time, the panel didn't even react. It was dead.

"Damn it!" Harry exclaimed as he brought his fist down against the panel, causing it to crack even more. As soon as he did that, he instantly regretted it. Just like that, he'd ruined any chance he had of attempting to fix the panel.

Visions of Seven swirled through Chakotay's mind as he slept, causing him to smile. They weren't doing anything in particular, just sitting in his quarters, talking. They were both smiling and enjoying their time together. He reached out to stroke her cheek. Her eyes closed, and she leaned into his touch before leaning forward to kiss him. When he realized what she was doing, he leaned towards her as well.

"Commander." Confusion flashed across his face as he sat back before he even had a chance to kiss her. That wasn't Seven's voice, yet it was her lips moving as he continued to dream. "Commander, we have a problem." It was Harry. In an instant, Seven melted away, and Chakotay woke up sprawled out on the floor of the cave. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but exhaustion finally won out at some point during the night

"What is it?" he snapped angrily as he ran his hand over his face in an attempt to wake himself up. Try as he might, he couldn't chase away the dream he just experienced and how it made him feel. When they got back to _Voyager_ , he would be able to make that dream a reality.

"Someone broke into the shuttle again." That was all the prompting Chakotay needed to push himself to a sitting position. After sleeping on the cold, hard ground all night, his joints immediately popped and protested at the sudden movement.

"What?" Since he was still waking up, he wasn't sure he had heard Harry correctly. There was no way anyone could have broken into the shuttle, there was nothing left for them to steal.

"I got an idea to get Seven and Tom out of the cave, and I went to the shuttle to try it out. The transporter panel has been destroyed. It looks like they tried to remove the panel to get to what's underneath," Harry explained excitedly. Now that news had properly sunk in, Chakotay scrambled to his feet.

"Did you find any trace of the intruder?" he asked as he stalked out of the cave and made a beeline for the shuttle. The sun overhead was rising much faster now. It would be day in less than an hour. Already, it was warm. It was guaranteed to be another torturously hot day.

Sure enough, when Chakotay got into the shuttle, he saw that the transporter control panel had been severely damaged. While he hadn't doubted Harry and his story, he needed to see for himself. It didn't make any sense to steal the transporter technology, it was a difficult system to manage and mesh with other interfaces that weren't Starfleet. He had to assume that whoever did this didn't know what they were trying to steal, and they just started digging around in search of something to take. Unfortunately, that resulted in extreme damage to the system. Chakotay knew B'Elanna would be able to fix it when they got back to _Voyager_ , but, for now, it was as completely useless as the rest of the shuttle.

"Has anything else been tampered with?" he asked as he ran his fingers over the splintered glass.

"I didn't check," Harry admitted with a shameful shake of his head. "I'm sorry, Commander. I came right back to tell you."

"Check the rest of the systems, particularly the comm system. If that's damaged, we're dead in the water."

"Well it doesn't do us much good now. There's too much interference in the atmosphere."

"Regardless, it's our only connection to _Voyager_. Check all the systems and gel packs."

"Aye, Sir." Rather than leave Harry to check on the status of the shuttle on his own, Chakotay helped sweep the shuttle with his tricorder. Just like before, there was absolutely no trace of whoever broke into the shuttle. Just like who summoned them here and where those strangers were, it was a complete mystery.

Try as she might, Seven couldn't sleep, not that she really needed to sleep in the first place, but with the disappearance of her mobile regenerator, she needed to find a way to conserve her energy. The inability to sleep came from the piercing pain in her temple that continued to get worse, chasing away any hopes of sleep. After laying awake for several hours, she finally got up and grabbed something to eat. As soon as she reached to grab a piece of fruit out of the nearby canteen, she froze. No matter how hard she tried to order her hand to work, it simply hovered over the small piece of fruit pathetically. Her fingers twitched stiffly, but they refused to follow the most simple of commands, such as grabbing a piece of fruit. Her eyes narrowed with frustration as she glared angrily at her hand and willed it to move. Never before had she had to focus so much to move. The extreme effort caused the pain in her temple to intensify as if if both phenomenons were closely related. She groaned loudly but quickly stopped when she remembered that Tom was asleep only a few feet away from her. Slowly, her fingers began to curl around the small piece of fruit, eventually grasping it loosely in her hand. It was the best she was going to get, and she knew it. Her situation was getting more perilous. She needed to regenerate.

By the time Tom woke up several hours later, Seven had started a small fire, gathered water and eaten her share of fruit for the morning. This didn't necessarily surprise him, as he felt that he had gotten a late start and knew that she didn't need as much sleep as he did. Knowing he had to get up and get the day started, he pushed himself to a seated position and rake his fingers through his hair.

"What time is it?" he groaned sleepily as he stretched his arms over his head. Slowly, the tight muscles in his back and shoulders began to release with the help of the movement.

"Approximately 0730 hours," Seven responded. "If we are going to meet Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kim on time, we will need to leave in 15 minutes."

"Okay, I can be ready." Tom scrambled to his feet and snatched some fruit out of the canteen. Seven tossed a small piece of wood on the fire and watched as it began to singe and burn until finally turning to ash. The fire calmed her and helped her forget about the struggle she had had just a few hours earlier doing the most mundane tasks.

With the help of Seven's extreme need for promptness, she and Tom arrived at the hole exactly when they were expected to. The bright sun created a small patch of light on the dank cave floor.

"They are late," Seven stated bluntly. She sounded annoyed at the fact that Chakotay and Harry weren't on time like they were. She knew that not everyone was as driven to be on time like she was, but this was important.

"I wouldn't be worried," Tom assured carelessly. She should have figured he wouldn't be worried, as he was always so laid back about everything. "Give them a few minutes. Not everyone is as obsessed as being on time as you."

"Being late is inefficient." He rolled his eyes. He knew she was going to say that.

"And yet, everyone does it. It's part of being human." Seven pursed her lips in disapproval. She never understood Tom's nonchalant attitude towards things. She knew he was never late to his post or to sickbay, as far she knew at least, she knew he was late to other personal duties, such as dates with B'Elanna. She'd heard B'Elanna complain in engineering several times. If anything, he should be taking this time to learn from her how to be more prompt.

"Tom! Seven!" Harry's eager brought Seven back to reality. She snapped back to her present situation and took a step towards the streaming sunlight. Instantly, she regretted it as the bright light caused the pain in her temple to intensify, something she hadn't thought possible until now. She did her best to ignore the pain and put on a strong face.

"Hey Harry," Tom called with a cheerful smile breaking out across his face. "How's it going?"

"Well, I thought we found a way to get you guys out of there, but things have gotten a little more complicated," Harry responded.

"I hardly see how things can get more complicated," Seven stated bluntly. The sharp pain in her temple inadvertently gave her voice an edge that usually wasn't there. All three men, Chakotay included, were too wrapped up in discussing what happened to the shuttle to notice it though.

"Someone broke into the shuttle again," Chakotay explained. Tom and Seven exchanged fleeting glances. The fact that this was the third time in under forty-eight hours didn't bode well for their future here on this planet. Clearly someone here was intent on stealing technology and supplies from them.

"When?" Seven asked.

"Sometime during the night," Harry replied. "There was a plasma storm, so we took cover in the cave. When I went back to the shuttle this morning, someone had tried to break off the transporter panel. The system's completely useless now."

"I hardly think the transporter system would have been able to get us back to _Voyager_ ," Seven pointed out. "There is too much atmospheric interference."

"No, but we could have at least tried to get you guys out of the cave," Chakotay pointed out.

"No offense, Commander, but I have a feeling that we're safer down here than you are out there." Chakotay sighed. He didn't want to, but he knew Tom was right. At least whoever was out here couldn't get to them in the cave.

"I think you're right," he admitted. "But it's our current situation, and we're going to make the best of it. Right now, my main focus is what supplies you need for the day so you can try to get out of there."

"Umm, a regenerator, a nice, comfy bed, my PADD," Tom teased.

"Very funny," Harry commented dryly. "How about some fruit?"

"That would be sufficient," Seven replied.

"Good, because that's all we got." Chakotay drew up the canteen to fill it with the fruit they had collected on their way here. Tom grabbed the fruit and shoved it in his pockets so they could eat while they walked.

"Do you guys need anything else?" Chakotay inquired.

"No, we're fine," Tom replied. "We're going to keep exploring the cave to see if we can find another way out of here. The cave branches off into more caves, which then branches off into more caves. It's a whole complicated network down here."

"Make sure you guys don't get lost."

"I have an eidetic memory. We will not get lost," Seven assured. Up above, Harry cracked a small smile. He imagined that Tom must find that frustrating. Usually he was the one who knew where they were going and called all the shots when it came to navigation. Now, he was following Seven's directions, but it was probably for the best. If the caves really were a vast network that branched off in all different directions, it would be wise for him to follow Seven's lead.

"Well, be careful regardless. We'll continue to explore the surface for an entrance. The same plan as yesterday still applies. We'll meet back here at 1800 hours to exchange supplies. If you guys find a way out of the cave, meet at the campsite."

"Aye, Commander." Seven nodded diligently. For some reason, she felt optimistic about today. They had managed to cover a lot of ground yesterday. With any luck, they would cover as much ground today and find a way out of here.

Tom was grateful that Seven had an eidetic memory, because he had absolutely no idea where they were going. At first, he'd tried to keep track of all the turns they'd made, and he thought he was doing a pretty good job, but after hours of winding their way through the labyrinth of caves, he couldn't tell where they were anymore. Between the twists and turns throughout the caves and the darkness that surrounded them, Tom was utterly lost and confused. For all he knew, Seven was leading him in circles as some sort of cruel prank. His eyes flitted across his surroundings in search of any features that would help him determine where they were. Everything looked the same, or at least as far as he could tell. His eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, but he was still limited it what he could see. Because of that, he was grateful to have Seven by his side to guide him. Her confident stride told him that she knew exactly where they were going and where they had already been. Whenever they passed by a cave that branched off from the one they were walking in, he glanced down it out of curiosity. All of them lead to a dark oblivion. In the back of his mind, he wondered if that was the cave that would lead them out of here or if it was somewhere they had already explored. He didn't bring it up though, because as soon as he did, there would simply be another cave that could just as easily be the one to get them out of here. There was a lot of guess work involved with their current situation.

Out of the blue, Seven stopped abruptly, causing Tom, who was still wrapped up in his own thoughts, to nearly run over her as he continued to walk. With an undignified grunt, he stumbled backwards and quickly regained his balance.

"Sorry," he muttered even though technically it was Seven who should be apologizing to him for stopping without any warning.

"We should stop here for lunch," she announced.

"Thank God. My feet are killing me." Tom immediately threw himself to the ground and pulled off his shoes before pulling the fruit out of his pocket and tossing them to the ground in front of him. Seven sat down across from him and grabbed a piece.

"We have walked approximately 10 kilometers."

"I believe it," Tom muttered as he attempted to massage his feet. He couldn't figure out why 10 kilometers had left him so exhausted. He figured that it might come from the fact that he'd spent all night sleeping on the cold, hard ground and the fact that he usually spent his days sitting on the con on the bridge. These days, the most exercise he got was pacing his small quarters while trying to lull Miral off to sleep. It was hardly the same as walking 10 kilometers before stopping for a break.

As he rested, Tom ate a handful of the fruit. Already, he was getting tired of eating it, and it had only been a few days. Deep down inside, he knew that he should get used to it, because they still had several days until _Voyager_ realized they were in trouble and came looking for them. Without most of the rations on the shuttle, this was all they had to eat. While the fruit was definitely edible and didn't taste terrible (like leola root), he did wonder if it had the nutritional requirements they needed to survive, especially considering the fact that they were walking long distances every single day. The rations that had been on the shuttle were designed to meet all their dietary needs, but they couldn't be sure about the fruit. Even so, beggars can't be choosers; this was all the food they had right now, so it would simply have to do. The only positive was that the fruit didn't taste half bad. To him, it tasted like a cross between a strawberry and a kiwi, although it had the consistency of a banana. It was a strange phenomenon to experience eating such an unusual blend of textures and flavors, but he ignored it and continued to eat.

Unlike Tom, Seven found that she wasn't hungry. If she simply sat there and waited for him to finish after being the one to suggest that they stop to rest, however, she knew it would arouse suspicion. To prevent that from happening, she nibbled on one of the fruit to make it appear that she was eating something. For some reason, the light fruit and quite delicious fruit in her opinion felt heavy in her stomach, almost like she was eating rocks. Logically, she knew she had to eat to keep up her energy, which was why she forced herself to continue eating. If they were going to walk the same distance this afternoon, then she knew she had to keep up her strength, especially if she needed to regenerate as well. As much as it made her feel worse rather than better, she finished the fruit and grabbed another one out of the canteen.

After resting for a while, Seven and Tom knew they had to get going and continue to explore the expansive caves around them. While they didn't have to worry about losing any sunlight, they did have to make it back to Harry and Chakotay on time so they could make their own camp while they had light. Tom reluctantly put his shoes back on and got to his feet. His feet immediately screamed in protest from being confined in the uncomfortable shoes and having to support his weight once again, but he ignored them the best he could. When he got back to _Voyager_ , B'Elanna definitely wouldn't be able to complain about him being lazy anymore. He'd probably walked more in the past twenty-four hours than she had in the past month. He wouldn't bring that up though. He knew her well enough that she would get mad and point out that he had left her alone to take care of Miral for nearly an entire week, even if it was Captain's orders to do so.

Several hours after eating and on their way back to the rendezvous point, Seven turned the corner in a cave, prompting Tom to follow after her dutifully. They continued to walk until the cave branched off into three separate caves. Each one of them looked identical to the others. She knew one of them lead back in the direction of the hole where Chakotay and Harry would be waiting for them, but she couldn't remember which one. Her heart pounded anxiously in her chest. It was a strange phenomenon, something she'd never experienced before. Logically, heart palpitations were incredibly dangerous and warranted a visit to sickbay. She also knew that they were a sign of high stress. Stress wasn't something the Borg experienced on a regular basis, but as she was also human, she was prone to stress occasionally. Normally, she handled stress by facing whatever was distressing her head on, but that was made more difficult by the fact that Tom was standing right behind her. She needed to make a quick decision. Her hands trembled slightly as her eyes shot from one cave to the other, mentally forcing herself to remember which cave lead them back to their destination. Just like Tom, she found that they all looked the same, but she couldn't dare admit that to him.

Tom stood uncomfortably behind Seven. Almost immediately, he sensed that something was very wrong with her. Up until now, she had been confident in her movements as she lead the way back to the rendezvous point. Now, even though she didn't openly admit anything to him, he could tell that she had her doubts about where to go next. Her shoulder slumped slightly, and she looked from cave to cave to cave in desperation.

"Seven, is everything alright?" he asked as gently as possible. She immediately squared her shoulders. He didn't tell her that he knew what was wrong, as he figured it would probably only make her feel even worse than she already did.

"Why wouldn't they be?" she demanded harshly. Between the burning sensation in her temple and her inability to figure out what cave they needed to go down, she wasn't in the mood to be pestered. She needed to concentrate and make the right decision, as one wrong turn would leave them wandering aimlessly through the caves without any supplies. If that happened, neither of them would be able to last very long.

"You just seemed...confused."

"I don't get confused. I am Borg." Her mind whirled as she not only tried to figure out which tunnel lead them to the hole but also as she attempted to think of a logical explanation for her strange behavior. "It sounded like you were getting tired, and I wanted to give you a chance to catch you breath." Tom wasn't buying it. While his feet were still hurting, he wasn't feeling tired at all.

"Okay…" He didn't sound at all convinced. "So I'm fully rested and ready to get going."

"Seeing as we have walked for approximately 23 kilometers, I doubt that you are fully rested." He rolled his eyes.

"It's a saying, Seven. It means I'm ready to get going." Seven continued to scan the caves. Suddenly, it all came rushing back to her.

"This way." With her previous confidence, she lead Tom down the cave on the far left. He followed her lead and kept his mouth shut about what had just happened, although he knew that something was wrong.

The situation left Seven feeling extremely shaken. Never before had she encountered such a problem, as her memory was flawless. It only took her a few seconds to commit something to memory, and now she was left mentally scrambling for what felt like the most basic of information, such as how to get back to Chakotay and Harry. While that information may not seem basic to most people, to her, it shouldn't have been a problem at all. Of course, she knew what was causing this stressful problem to happen. Her cortical implant told her that her nanoprobes were running on approximately seventy-five percent efficiency. When she realized this, it was no wonder she was having problems moving and with her memory. It was only a matter of time before she became highly inefficient. With any luck, they would be out of this cave before then and back on _Voyager_.

Relief washed over Seven when she saw the distinct puddle of light spilling across the ground and the comforting baritone of Chakotay's voice seeping down from above. While she had been confident in her choice of caves, there had still been a flicker of doubt that plagued her as they walked. She had still feared that she made the wrong choice and gotten them hopelessly lost. Seven's little mishap earlier had caused her and Tom to be late to the rendezvous point, which only caused her to feel even more on edge, if that was even possible. Tardiness was highly inefficient and drove her crazy, a feeling that was made worse by the fact that it was her fault they were late and the pain in the side of her head.

Up on the surface, Chakotay was starting to get worried. By his estimation, Seven and Tom were fifteen minutes late. While it didn't necessarily surprise him that Tom was late, it wasn't like Seven at all. He paced nervously alongside the hole and tried to think of some sort of explanation for their tardiness. Unfortunately, all the explanations he could think of, including them being lost or hurt, only made him feel more stressed out about the entire situation.

"Where are they?" he demanded to himself.

"Maybe they found a way out," Harry suggested hopefully. He knew that that probably wasn't true, but he needed to say something to help Chakotay feel better. "We should head back to the camp just to make sure."

"I hope so," the First Officer admitted. On the other hand, he couldn't bring himself to leave quite yet. "We'll give them five more minutes and then head back to the camp." The thought of leaving without knowing for sure if they were out of the cave made him feel uneasy. If they didn't show up to camp, then that meant they were stuck in the cave overnight without any supplies; they would be cold and without any food until the next morning. On the other hand, they could be on their way to the camp right now. It was a difficult position to be in. Until he knew for sure that Seven and Tom were out of the cave, Chakotay found that he couldn't bring himself to leave.

 **Author's Note:** I apologize for such a short chapter. Despite that, please make sure to leave a nice little review =)


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Here's another chapter, I hope you like it. Make sure to leave a review.

 **Chapter Eight**

Another night of sleeping on the ground really had done Chakotay in. While he was used to "roughing it" during away missions, usually he had some sort of padding to cushion the discomfort of sleeping on the ground for days on end. Of course, that padding was stolen from the shuttle with everything else, leaving him with nothing but this uniform to protect him from the hard ground. In an attempt to loosen his tight muscles, he tilted his head from side to side several times. His neck cracked loudly. Almost instantly, the joints loosened somewhat. The exercise did little to help the dull pain radiating up his back from his hips. It was simply a fact of life for the day, and he would have to learn to deal with it. It also served as a reminder that he wasn't as young as he used to be.

As he ate half a ration bar, Harry mindlessly poked at the cold embers left over from the fire the night before. It was going to be another hot day, making it pointless to start a fire. Besides, they would probably be heading out in a few minutes, so as soon as they started a fire, they'd simply have to put it out once again. Sighing, Chakotay sat on the ground next to him and grabbed one of the fruit from the nearby pile.

"What I wouldn't give for a cup of coffee," he complained as he carefully peeled the fruit and discarded the skin next to him.

"And a bed," Harry added.

"I'd just settle for a mat to sleep on." Harry made a face. "What? Camping doesn't appeal to you, Harry?" There was a hint of amusement in Chakotay's voice. It was the happiest he'd sounded since Tom and Seven got stranded in the cave. Even so, he didn't sound particularly happy, just slightly more upbeat than he had been earlier. Harry figured it was the best mood Chakotay was going to be in until either they got the pair out of the cave or they got rescued, whichever came first.

"I don't mind camping," Harry replied. "But it would be nice to have a tent or sleeping bag or even just something other to eat than this fruit." Chakotay opened his mouth to point out that things could be worse, but he immediately decided against it. The last thing he wanted to do was jinx this already difficult away mission, especially with Seven and tom trapped in the cave. Instead, he continued to eat and stared at the fire pit. It was hard to believe that just the other night, he and Seven were together and safe in his quarters. They were warm, eating their fill and sleeping in each other's arms. Now, they were sleeping on the cold ground, separated by several feet of stone and rock debris and constantly worrying about each other's well-being. As if that wasn't enough to stress Chakotay out, they still hadn't found whoever sent out the distress call. While their main focus was now on getting the rest of their away team out of the cave, Chakotay still kept an eye open for whoever summoned them here. As much as he looked, however, there was no trace of them anywhere: no tracks, no litter, no residual proteins from them touching anything. It was as if they didn't exist. The thoughts caused Chakotay to sigh dejectedly and rub the back of his neck in an attempt to ease from of the tension that still gripped him there. Harry glanced at him. He was tempted to ask if everything was alright, but he ultimately decided against it. All it took was one look at the First Officer to know that he wasn't alright, and he was lost in his own thoughts.

Seven's hand twitched against her will as she and Tom stood underneath the hole and discussed the plan for the day. She was grateful for the limited light and Tom's poor eyesight in such lighting. Between those factors and the fact that he was distracted talking to Chakotay and Harry, he didn't even notice her current situation. Thankfully, Harry and Chakotay were too far away to see it either, which meant she was free to deal with the problem however she saw fit. In order to better hide it, Seven crossed her arms over her chest and listened carefully to Chakotay as he gave the orders for the day. At this point, the orders for the day were redundant: continue to explore the cave in search of a way out of there and meet back either here at the hole or at the camp at 1800 hours. It was the same routine as yesterday and the day before. With any luck, it would be the last day with this mundane routine, and they would be sleeping outside in the open tonight. Seven knew that it was highly improbable that they would find a way out of here, but she wanted to think that it was a possibility; it served as a motivating factor to keep her moving forward.

Later that day, a sharp pain starting in her hip implant and radiating down her thigh caused Seven to stumble slightly as she walked. She immediately caught her footing and prayed Tom didn't notice. If he did notice, he didn't say anything. While she did have to deal with pain and discomfort that came with her implants on a fairly regular basis, this was something entirely different. That pain was dull, annoying but eventually something she could ignore when she focused on her work. This pain couldn't be more different. It was sharp, as if fire was radiating from her implant and working its way down through the implant along her thigh, causing the muscles to contract as they protested the new discomfort. The pain persisted, as if desiring to distract her from her work like Naomi did when she showed up in astrometrics, and no matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn't ignore it. She did her best to focus putting one foot in front of the other while simultaneously keeping track of where they were. It incredibly draining for Seven and only made more difficult by the fact that the sharp pain in her temple was progressively getting worse as well. All of these were signs of her need to regenerate, but she knew that that wasn't going to happen. It would be inefficient and a waste of energy to lament the fact that she needed to to regenerate, so she did her best to banish those thoughts from her mind as she pressed forward on her mission. The least she could do was get Tom out of here in one piece.

As he walked along the surface, Harry's tricorder beeped excitedly, instantly drawing his attention from scanning the landscape around him to the device in his hand. He carefully read over the results several times just to make sure he was reading them correctly; the last thing he wanted to do was give Chakotay incorrect information and risk getting his hopes up.

"Commander," he called across the expansive desert. Chakotay was several yards away from him, weaving his way in and out of dried, seemingly dead bushes and small piles of rocks scattered across the ground. At the sound of his name being called, Chakotay's head shot up. "You better get over here." He didn't need to be told twice, and he rushed to Harry's side.

"What is it?" he demanded. It hadn't been his intention to be so sort with the Ensign, the words just came out like that. After several days of nothing, it was reassuring to think that there was some good news.

"Scans are picking up an opening about half a kilometer due south," Harry informed him.

"An opening? Like the entrance to a cave?" He shrugged.

"I don't know." Chakotay clapped him on the shoulder. It was better than nothing. In fact, it was the best news they'd gotten probably since getting here.

"Well, let's find out. Lead the way." The excitement in Chakotay's voice wasn't lost on Harry. After dealing with setback after setback, it was the most optimistic he'd sounded in days. Harry only hoped that he wouldn't be disappointed when they got there.

The entrance to the cave was smaller than the one they made their camp at, but it was still an entrance to the cave, and for that, Chakotay and Harry were grateful. The ceiling stretched approximately seven feet above the ground. While there was no way of knowing if this cave was connected to the cave that trapped Seven and Tom, but they had to force themselves to be optimistic. Even if it was connected to that cave, Tom implied that it was a maze of caves below ground, which would make their job even more difficult. It was the best they'd come across, though, and Chakotay figured it was the best they were going to get given everything that had gone wrong with this away mission. Without a flashlight, it would be difficult to navigate the cave, but they would have to make due. Just like Seven, they would adapt.

As soon as they entered the cave, there was a significant drop in temperature as cold air instantly wrapped around them. After facing the blazing heat outside, it was a huge relief for both Harry and Chakotay. The air felt damp, and a slight mildew smell floated through the air. Neither man minded, as it was far better than being outside under the blazing sun.

"Homey," Harry commented sarcastically.

"How far are we from camp?" Chakotay asked, ignoring the Ensign's remark. Now that they were in the caves, he had a new sense of determination consuming him.

"About seven kilometers."

Despite the fact that he knew it was a longshot, Chakotay bellowed, "Seven!" His deep voice bounced off the walls of the cave, echoing as it worked its way down the dark corridor. "Tom!" The echoes eventually faded into nothingness, and both men anxiously listened against all odds for any reply.

Seven's head shot up, and her eyes whipped around excitedly as they did their best to find the source of the noise she just heard. She immediately stopped walking and put her hand up to signal Tom to stop walking as well. He immediately stopped walking, not only because he wanted to figure out what was going on, but also because without her, he would instantly get lost.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Did you hear that?" she demanded. He listened carefully. All he'd heard was the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls of the cave and the distant sound of water dripping down from the surface.

"No…" There was nothing of importance to hear, just the two of them.

"Someone is calling my name."

"That's impossible, Seven. We're the only ones in here, and I definitely wasn't calling your name."

"It is not impossible. Perhaps Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kim have found a way into the cave and are here to lead us out." Skepticism and excitement consumed Tom. He hadn't heard anything, but he knew Seven's hearing was better than his, so he was inclined to believe her. On the other hand, he wanted to think that his hearing wasn't that poor, and he would have at least heard something, no matter how faint. "It came from this direction." Without waiting to see if Tom was following, Seven took off at double speed in the direction she thought she heard the voice.

Seven's implant encrusted leg screamed in protest as she rushed through the cave. At times, she nearly broke into a sprint to get to the source of the noise faster. Tom nearly had to jog to keep up with her. He opened his mouth to beg her to slow down, but he ultimately decided against it. She took several sharp turns, weaving through the cave as if she knew exactly where she was going. Tom hoped she keeping track of all the turns and deviations she was making, because now he was utterly and hopelessly lost. Up until now, he'd been doing his best to keep track of where they were going. It wasn't that he didn't trust Seven, but the incident yesterday had left him feeling a little on edge. Despite her assurances to the contrary, he knew she had gotten lost and confused, even if it was just for a few minutes. It was easy enough to do, even for someone with an eidetic memory. Everywhere in the caves looked exactly the same. Tom didn't hold it against Seven, but he just wanted to make sure that they made it back to camp in one piece or else he knew Chakotay would throw him out of the nearest airlock as soon as they got back to _Voyager_.

Seven eventually stopped. While she'd heard Chakotay's voice several more times, she couldn't find him. If anything, it grew more and more distant. Her head whipped around in search of him or the source of his voice. She even looked up to see if there was another hole above their heads. All she saw was darkness and the same brown rocks, slick with moisture that seemed to elude the surface. His voice was gone. Tom stopped next to her and doubled over to catch his breath.

"Well, that was a great workout," he teased. Seven wasn't in the mood.

"I heard Chakotay's voice," she insisted. "As clearly as I hear your voice." She sounded distraught and confused. Tom stood up. In an attempt to comfort her, he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. While she usually found such contact with other members of the crew intimate and inappropriate, right now she found it oddly comforting. "I don't understand." Never before had Tom heard her sound so emotional and conflicted. She was always the epitome of calmness.

"Maybe it's just the stress of this entire situation," he suggested. "You're worried about Chakotay. There have been times I've thought I've heard B'Elanna's voice, but it's all been in my imagination. Usually it's when I've been away from her for a while." Seven turned to face Tom.

"I am Borg. I don't have an imagination," she insisted.

"You're also human, and humans do have imaginations." Tom could tell that Seven still looked shaken by her experience. He noticed her hand trembling. "Here, sit down and rest."

"I don't need to rest. This has been an inefficient use of our time. If we are going to get out of here, we need to keep moving." Seven broke free of Tom's grip. She squared her shoulders and put on a stern expression. All emotion disappeared from her face as she went back to her usual composed self. Tom sighed.

"Please, Seven?" He knew if he really wanted to, he could pull rank on her or say that it was medically advisable for her to rest, but he ultimately decided against both tactics, as it would probably only cause her to grow more agitated.

"Let's go." She turned sharply on her heels and began to backtrack. Unfortunately, she hadn't been paying attention to where they were going as she ran through the caves, which meant she would have to work twice as hard to get them back to where they'd originally veered off course.

Harry followed Chakotay's lead in the cave. They had walked for about a kilometer and a half before the cave branched off in two directions. Chakotay stopped and carefully analyzed both caves in an attempt to figure out which way to go.

"This way should lead in the direction of the cave in," he finally announced after careful examination.

"If we turn off this main cave, how will we know how to get back?" Harry asked. He remembered what Tom and Seven had told them. These caves were a maze, and they all looked the same. It would only take one wrong turn for them to get lost as well, which meant neither group stood much of a chance of getting out of here. Chakotay crouched down and gathered together three rocks. He stacked the two largest on top of each other in the middle of the cave and put the smallest rock leaning against the other two rocks.

"There, that will tell us which way to go. It's an old tracking symbol," he explained as he stood up. "Every time we turn, we mark down if we turn right or left when we backtrack. It's as good as a map." To Harry, it looked like little more than a pile of rocks in the middle of a cave, but Chakotay seemed confident in his plan. If it was good enough to the First Officer, then it would have to be good enough for him, despite his apprehensions.

It took Seven nearly an hour to undo the damage from her little misadventure. Because neither her nor Tom had been paying attention to where they had been going, they didn't know where to go when they backtracked. At every turn and fork, they had to stop while they both carefully analyzed the choices in front of them. Tom redoubled his efforts to keep track of each turn they made, just to play it safe, but it was like fighting a losing battle with him. His memory was terrible when it came to things like this. As he attempted to keep track of where they were going, he couldn't help but shake the feeling building up inside of him. Seven turned left, prompting him to do the same.

"Are you sure we aren't lost?" he asked. He didn't mean to sound rude, but he just couldn't hold it in any longer. Seven stopped and carefully looked around.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I can't remember."

"Well think back to the last thing you do remember and go from there."

"That is what I have been doing," Seven snapped. "If you are going to offer advice, at least make it something meaningful."

"Maybe you're being overworked. Neither of us are sleeping well, we're not exactly eating the best diet, and we're stressed. Let's stop here for a break. Once your mind relaxes, it'll all come back to you, and we can head back to the rendezvous point."

"Fine," Seven relented. Although she had agreed to Tom's suggestion, her tone gave away the fact that she wasn't pleased with the decision. Resting would hardly help her memory. She knew this was her fault. Had she just kept to the plan and not allowed her emotions to get the better of her, then they wouldn't be lost and perhaps may have even found a way out of these caves. She only had herself to blame for their current predicament.

Tom flung himself down unceremoniously and pulled out a handful of fruit to share with Seven. He peeled off the skin and tossed the fruit up into the air, effortlessly catching it in his mouth. Seven eyed him. She clearly looked unamused by his childish behavior. She had no idea how B'Elanna put up with him, especially with the addition of Miral into their lives.

"What?" he asked as he chewed and swallowed the fruit in one bite.

"That seems like an inefficient way of eating," she commented from where she stood.

"Oh come on, Seven. Where's your sense of fun?"

"We are stranded in a cave. I don't have time for fun." Tom rolled his eyes. He glanced down to grab more fruit but quickly looked back up again and watched as Seven sat down across from him. Yesterday, she sat down in one fluid movement. It almost looked like a choreographed dance. Today, she braced herself against the wall of the cave and gingerly lowered herself to a sitting position while putting as little weight as possible on her leg. It was an action that wasn't lost to Tom. He opened his mouth to ask if she was alright but quickly decided against it. He could tell she was in a bad mood, and he wasn't about to make it worse. Instead, he tossed her a handful of fruit from his pockets and ate in silence.

While Seven ate in silence, she did her best to remember which way to go. Her mind simply wouldn't relax. It replayed their actions over and over again, but it came back in broken fragments. There were holes in it that she simply couldn't fill, and, unfortunately, those holes were exactly what she needed filled to figure out how to get back to the rendezvous point. Sighing, Seven closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall of the cave. Between the pain in her leg and her head, it was almost impossible for her to concentrate. Without realizing it, she grimaced in pain and frustration as she ran her hand over her face. If she didn't remember soon, they would be stuck down here for even longer than they originally intended.

When Seven didn't move for several minutes, Tom started to get worried. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn that she was asleep. He saw her hand twitching where it rested on her lap, but that was the only movement. He was starting to get worried.

"Seven?" he murmured as he crawled across the cave and put a hand on her bad leg. Gasping loud, she jumped several centimeters in the air. Her eyes flew open and looked around wildly as she took in her surroundings. Tom immediately put his hands up. "It's just me," he assured gently. "It looked like you fell asleep."

"You wanted me to rest, so I was resting," she pointed out. "I;'ve remembered how to get back to the rendezvous point. Are you sufficiently rested?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tom replied. He scrambled to his feet and extended his hand. Seven eyed it suspiciously. "Come on, I'll help you to your feet."

"I am capable of getting up on my own."

"It's called chivalry, Seven. I'm not doubting your ability to get up, I'm simply offering you a hand." Seven felt suspicious as she put her hand in Tom's. The second their hands met, his medical training set in, and he used the close proximity to give her a quick once over. Unfortunately, he only had a few seconds, and his sight was limited down here. All he noticed was that her felt slightly warmer than most people's bodies, but he wasn't sure if that was normal or not. Rather than press the matter, he carefully pulled her to her feet.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she said with a formal nod as she brushed her hair out of her face. "We need to keep moving." He didn't protest as she lead the way through the cave in the direction of the rendezvous point at the hole. Instead, he carefully analyzed her, looking for any sign that something was wrong, not that there was much he could do about it down here.

While being down in the caves definitely had perks, such as being out of the blistering heat, Harry felt himself going crazy. Every turn they took lead them down another winding cave that looked exactly like the last one. It was disorienting. Harry knew there was no way he would be able to lead them out of here. The tricorder was just as confused as he was, rendering it basically useless. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to put the device away, it gave him a false sense of purpose. He hoped Chakotay's little trick with the rocks would do their job and guide them out of here. While Harry slowed down to analyze his tricorder, Chakotay continued to press on without any sign of slowing down.

"Commander," Harry called after him. Chakotay slowed down. "Commander, we should start heading back if we're going to make it on time." The First Officer continued to walk. He couldn't bring himself to turn back. For all he knew, the next turn would lead them straight to Seven and Tom. If that was the case, he wouldn't be able to live with himself, knowing he was so close, yet he had turned back at the last possible moment. On the other hand, he knew he couldn't play this what if game. It would drive him crazy and keep him searching this cave without end. If they continued to search, they would end up being late to the rendezvous point, which meant Seven and Tom would be left stranded without any food or wood for the night. No matter how much it pained him, Chakotay knew they would have to suspend their search for the day and turn back.

"You're right," he relented reluctantly. "Let's head back. With any luck, they won't be at the rendezvous point." Chakotay stalked past Harry and took point as he lead the younger man back in the direction they came. Feeling hopeful, Harry glanced down the cave one last time, just to be sure, but all he saw was utter darkness.

Now was the moment of truth for Harry. It was time to see if Chakotay's little plan to use a pile of rocks to guide them would be enough to get them out of here. They walked for about half a kilometer until the cave split off into three branches.

"Which way?" Harry asked. He hoped Chakotay didn't take his question as being rude or insubordinate, he simply wanted to know which way to turn and to see if his planned had worked. Chakotay carefully analyzed each branch until he finally saw the outline of the pile of stones sitting in the middle of one of the entrances.

"This way," he announced. With confidence, he led Harry down the cave. They both carefully skirted around the pile of rocks in the process. "We should make it back to the rendezvous point right on time, but we'll have to hurry." Harry had to scramble to keep up with Chakotay's long gait, but he knew asking him to slow down was pointless, this was a man on a mission.

Just like Chakotay and Harry, Seven and Tom were making their way back to the rendezvous point as well. Tom kept an eye on Seven as they walked. He noticed that she was favoring her right leg, barely putting any pressure on it as they walked. Now that he'd had a chance to watch her for a while, there was no doubt in his mind: she was limping. Try as she might to hide it, his medical training told him that he was absolutely correct. To his knowledge, however, she hadn't fallen or done anything to her leg, and there was no reason for her to be limping or to be in any pain or discomfort.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked as he fell into step next to her.

"I am undamaged," she replied in her usual curt manner. He glanced down at her leg. She followed his gaze. Almost immediately, she stopped limping. She hadn't even been aware that she was limping until he subtly brought it to her attention. In an attempt to change the subject, Seven asked, "How is Miral?" Tom did a double take.

"Miral?"

"Your daughter, Miral."

"Yeah, I'm aware of who Miral is. I just didn't know you were interested in her well-being."

"I have been told that new parents are often fond of talking about their offspring." Tom figured that that was Seven's way of saying that she was curious about how Miral was doing in her own special way.

"Miral's fine," he finally responded.

"Is she growing adequately?" He couldn't help but chuckle at Seven's attempt to engage him in smalltalk. It was awkward and almost forced, although he could tell that she was trying her best to seem genuinely concerned with how Miral was doing.

"The Doctor says she's hitting all her milestones fine. If only she would sleep through the night. She's perfect though. She's happy and healthy, and that's all B'Elanna and I could ask for." The pain continued to radiate through her leg. She had to focus nearly all of her energy to keep from limping and drawing attention to herself. "Have you and Chakotay talked about settling down, having little half-drone/half-Maquis babies?" Seven's eyes narrowed angrily.

"That is none of your business," she snapped.

"Hey, I'm just trying to keep the conversation going. You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to."

"I don't want to." While it hadn't been his intention, Tom knew he had crossed the line. He shouldn't have pressed. When he and B'Elanna had first started dating several years ago, they'd longed for some privacy as well, although they were just begging to be caught with their little trysts all over _Voyager_. If someone had asked him the same question, he would have gotten snippy as well, especially since he never really thought of himself as the paternal type. Now that he had Miral, however, he couldn't imagine life without her, and it had only been a few months.

The sudden intimate question caught Seven off guard and distracted her from concentrating on stopping her limp. Now that she'd turned her attention back to her leg, she found that the pain was excruciating. Every time she took a step, pain shot up her leg and through her hip, penetrating her torso in the process. Never before had her implant given her so much trouble. Seven took a step, and her leg finally gave out, sending her crumbling to the ground without so much as a warning.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Okay, here we go, chapter nine! Make sure you leave a review. It's a pretty short chapter, really meant to fill in until what happens next more than anything else. I'm also very excited to say that I've written about 99% of this story and have started writing a new story. It's called _Adjustment Period_ , and the first chapter will probably be up in a week or two. It's another Chakotay/Seven story.

 **Chapter Nine**

"Seven!" Tom exclaimed as he rushed to her side. Not knowing if she was conscious or not, he rolled her onto her back. She blinked several times. While he was still concerned about her condition, at least she was conscious. "What happened?" he asked.

"I am undamaged," she responded as she attempted to sit up. Realizing what she was trying to do, Tom pushed her back down.

"That's not what I asked. What happened?" Without waiting for her response, he pulled out his tricorder and began to scan her. Unfortunately, he didn't have his medical tricorder on him, so all he could get was the most basic of information, but it was better than nothing.

"Nothing," Seven insisted as she attempted to sit up again. Tom gently pushed her back down; he'd continue to do so no matter what, she wasn't in any condition to be on her feet right now.

"Whoa, you're not going anywhere yet. You just collapsed, and you're running a slight fever. How long have you been feeling sick?"

"I am Borg. I don't get sick." Tom continued to scan her.

"Well, you're getting sick because you have a fever. Let's get you back to camp." He carefully pulled her to her feet. "Okay, just swing your arm over my shoulders, and I'll help you back." He tried to swing her arm over his shoulders, but she refused and tried to push him away. He kept a tight grip on her though, forcing her to lean on him. He could see that she was in pain, and he wasn't about to let her go just like that.

"I am undamaged. I do not require assistance," she insisted.

"Yeah, we'll you're getting it anyway, so just pretend I'm Chakotay and deal with it."

"I hardly see how that is possible. Your physiology is hardly similar." Tom rolled his eyes.

"Thanks. Now stop arguing and let me help you. I'm a trained field medic." Seven reluctantly slung her arm across Tom's shoulders, and he looped his arm around her slender waist to support her the best he could.

"I am aware of your qualifications, but they are unnecessary. I am undamaged."

"Yeah, we'll talk about how 'undamaged' you are when I get you back to camp." Seven pursed her lips and scowled. This was absolutely humiliating. She had walked this far with a bad leg, she would walk the last kilometer back to camp without any assistance. At first, she barely put any weight on Tom, trying her best to walk on her own while keeping her arm around his shoulders to keep him happy. When she realized that it was significantly easier for her to walk when she leaned on Tom for some support.

Tom refused to buy Seven's story that she was "undamaged". Ever since yesterday, he had a sneaking suspicion that something was wrong with her. From her getting confused while exploring the caves to her limping, something simply wasn't right. Now, at least he had some sort of tangible proof that something was wrong. His tricorder told him that she was running a fever, but little else. He would have to use more traditional medical techniques to not only find out what was wrong with her but also to treat her. The treatment part was what worried him the most though. Not only did he have no medical supplies, but his knowledge of Borg physiology was almost non-existent. The Doctor and B'Elanna were far more qualified to help her. Since neither of them were here, however, he would simply have to do.

It was a grueling walk back to camp, made much slower by Seven's current condition, but they made it in one piece. Tom carefully lowered her to the ground against the side of the cave to prop her up. He crouched down next to her and put a gentle hand on her good leg. Once she was seated, Seven seemed to relax a little. Her bad leg stretched out in front of her pathetically as she leaned against the cool wall of the cave.

"You are going to be late," she stated. "You need to get going."

"And I'm supposed to leave you here? Chakotay will have my head if he found out."

"So tell him I'm setting up camp for the night. Do _not_ tell him that I fell. I will be fine in a few hours. I just need to rest." She knew if Chakotay found out, it would only cause him to stress, and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

"I thought you were Borg and didn't need to rest," Tom teased in an attempt to lighten the mood. Seven shot him a deadly look. "Sorry. Okay. Not a word to the Commander, although I'm pretty sure that that's a court martial-able offense."

"I will take any blame." Tom should have just kept his mouth shut. Clearly Seven wasn't in the mood for any teasing, although he couldn't really think of any time when she was in the mood for teasing. "You need to go. I will do my best to set up camp for the night."

"No you're going to rest," Tom insisted. "I better see you sitting right here when I get back. That's an order."

"That hardly seems like something worth giving an order about."

"And yet, I've done it, so you have to follow since I'm the superior officer here." Seven pursed her lips in disapproval and glared angrily at Tom. Looking rather satisfied with himself, he got to his feet and left to meet with Chakotay and Harry to get supplies for another night in the cave.

Seven waited a few minutes to make sure Tom was really gone before pushing herself to her feet. The second she put weight on her bad leg, pain shot through it. She nearly cried out but instantly stopped herself. If Tom heard her, then he would undoubtedly come rushing back, which meant he might tell Chakotay. She could take care of herself. Right now, she needed to prepare the camp for the evening. There was still a handful of sticks left over from the fire the night before that she could gather together in a small fire until Tom returned with more supplies. Bracing herself for the inevitable pain, Seven pushed herself to her feet once again. Visibly wincing, she staggered to the other side of the cave where the firewood was piled. In order to minimize the pressure on her foot, she attempted to run to the other side of the cave, ultimately throwing herself against the cool, damp wall to keep her balance. This had been a terrible idea, but the thought of Tom setting up the entire camp for the evening didn't sit well with her. She needed to pull her weight, she wasn't an invalid. Besides, how hard could it be to start a fire?

Chakotay waited anxiously at the side of the hole in the ground in what was starting to become a tortuous nightly ritual. Today he'd been so certain they would get Tom and Seven out of there, yet here they were outside in the open staring down at Tom as he appeared beneath them. Chakotay waited eagerly for a few more seconds to see if Seven appeared. When she didn't, his face fell. Seeing her, even from a distance, was the only consolation to the disappointment he felt for not rescuing her yet again.

"Where's Seven?" he blurted out. He hadn't meant to sound on edge, but it had been a long, exhausting day with very little results accomplished.

"She's setting up camp for the night," Tom replied with surprising ease for someone lying to his commanding officer. He hated lying to Chakotay, he'd never given him any reason to deceive him, but he didn't think being honest with him was the best policy right now either. If he told Chakotay that Seven was sick, he would be asked a million questions he didn't know the answers to. Right now, all he knew was that Seven was sick, and once he got done here, he was going to figure out why. "Did you guys have any luck today?"

"We found an entrance to a cave, but we don't know if it's connected to the cave you guys are in," Harry replied. "You're right, it's a maze down there."

"You're telling me. Thank God Seven has an eidetic memory, or else we would have been lost ages ago." He decided to leave out the fact that Seven had gotten disoriented twice now. Once again, it would cause Chakotay to ask questions that Tom didn't know how to answer. He was put in what felt like an impossible situation, and there was no way for him to win.

Back at the camp, Seven gathered together the small pile of sticks. Without a phaser, they were reduced to primitive tactics to start the fire; primitive tactics that Tom was far better at. Determined to try, she assembled the sticks like she saw Tom do the night before and mimicked his actions as she rubbed two sticks together. When he did it, it only took about a minute or two for wisps of smoke began to curl up, indicating that a fire was starting. After nearly four minutes, however, there was no sign that she was successful. Scowling, she threw down the sticks. Normally things came easy to her, but this was something she simply couldn't figure out. Not one to give up, she grabbed the sticks again. Unfortunately, the stress of trying to start the fire caused the sharp pain behind her eye to intensify. She did the best to ignore the pain and continue trying.

When Tom returned to camp, he found Seven lounged on the other side of the cave with a small pile of wood gathered together in front of her. It appeared that she had attempted to start a fire but eventually gave up. In all honesty, he wasn't sure if this surprised him or not. He knew how stubborn she was.

"You know, I committed a court martial-able offense," Tom announced as he dropped the pile of wood for the night on the ground and wiped his hands on his pants. "The least you could do is follow my orders."

"Your orders were unnecessary. I am capable of setting up camp. What did you tell Chakotay?" Tom crouched down and began to gather together wood for a small fire. It was already getting cold in here, and if Seven was getting sick, he wanted to make sure she stayed warm.

"That you're setting up camp for the night." Relief washed over Seven. She hadn't expected Tom to lie for her. She visibly relaxed against the wall of the cave and closed her eyes. Tom stopped what he was doing to looked at her. "Seven?" Her eyes fluttered open. "Why did you have me lie to him?" His voice was gentle, yet firm and probing.

"I didn't want him to worry," she openly admitted. Caught off guard, Tom sat back properly and momentarily forgot about starting the fire.

"You really care about him, don't you?" She didn't respond. "You know, I knew B'Elanna was the one when she was all I could think about, and I started putting her needs before my own. It's a part of being in love." Seven's eyes flew up to meet Tom's. This wasn't something appropriate for crewmembers to talk about, especially during a life and death situation on an away mission. This was far too personal. She'd said too much already. Absolutely none of this was any of Tom's business. This was something she had to grapple with on her own. Was she really in love with Chakotay, or was it her mind tricking her into thinking she was in love to fill some sort of void? Seven quickly banished all thoughts of Chakotay from her mind.

"We need to get a fire started," she announced as she leaned forward to help Tom.

"Correction, I'm going to get a fire started," he insisted as he gently pushed her back to a seated position. "You're going to rest."

"I have sufficiently rested and do not need to be coddled." Tom ignored her. He was more than capable of starting a smile fire and setting up camp for the evening. It wasn't a lot of work to be done around the small camp, he could handle it on his own.

With a little bit of work, Tom got the fire started. He made it look so easy, which greatly frustrated Seven, who had stressed and agonized over the action with no results. When they got back to _Voyager_ , she was determined to dedicate time to studying wilderness survival techniques in case something like this happened again. The fire cast warm light across the duo and finally gave Tom the opportunity to look at Seven properly. She looked unusually pale, or at least paler than usual. With the fire finally up and going, he pulled out his tricorder and moved to crouch down next to her.

"What are you doing?" she demanded as she did her best to push away the tricorder. The beeping was making her head hurt even worse, which she didn't think was even possible. Tom persisted and kept his eyes locked on the device in his hand as he read the minimal results that came up on the screen. What he wouldn't give for a medical tricorder right now.

"I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with you."

"It is exhaustion...and stress." It wasn't entirely a lie. The need to regenerate could be classified as a type of exhaustion, although Seven knew she was splitting hairs. If she told Tom the truth, however, she knew he would immediately tell Chakotay. There was nothing they could do about her current situation, so it was pointless to add more stress to this mission. She could handle this on her own.

"Exhaustion and stress?" Tom repeated skeptically. "I thought your Borg body had a higher stamina."

"That is correct, however my body has become accustomed to being more sedentary working on _Voyager_. As a result, all the walking we have done, combined with a minimal diet, has left me feeling sick." The more Seven talked, the easier it was for her to weave this story of pretend exhaustion. "I am undamaged and do not require any medical assistance. I will be fine tomorrow to resume our course of action."

"Oh no, tomorrow we're going to rest."

"We?" As far as she could tell, Tom was perfectly fine and capable of going off to explore the caves by himself. There was no need for him to stay behind. "I do not require anyone to watch over me."

"Yeah, well, I'll be sticking around camp tomorrow too. I can't navigate these caves by myself, and if you take a turn for the worse, I should be close by. Just in case." She pursed her lips and glowered in protest. When she opened her mouth to protest further, Tom added, "As senior officer here, I'm calling the shots, and that's what we're doing. You had me lie to Chakotay, the least you can do is follow this one order." She closed her mouth. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She didn't want to rest, nor did she think a full day of rest was completely necessary, but it was the least she could do to repay Tom for doing something he obviously felt uncomfortable with.

"Very well," she snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest. Tom smiled smugly as he went back to tending the fire and preparing their meal of fruit, water and a single ration bar for them to share.

Tom handed Seven a handful of fruit and the entire ration bar as he sat back to eat noticeably less fruit than her. His expression told her that this was an intentional act, although she couldn't figure out why he would do that.

"I do not require an entire ration bar," she insisted as she broke the dry bar in half and attempted to hand half back to him. He held up his hands.

"No way, that's all for you," he shot back forcefully. "You just told me that you're feeling sick because you aren't eating enough, so I'm giving you some of my food for tonight. Besides, we won't be walking very far tomorrow, so I won't need all those empty calories." The gesture caught Seven off guard. While she knew fatherhood had made Tom soft and more caring, she didn't expect him to give up some of his food. Logically, it was incredibly selfish. While she did require food, he did as well. If anything, he was doing himself a disservice.

"Is this another order?" she inquired.

"No, it's called chivalry." Seven knew she had heard the word before, but the headache she constantly suffered now made it more difficult for her to remember exactly what that word meant. Her memory was getting worse. It was one thing to forget things in her short-term memory, but it was another thing to forget something in her long-term memory, which had always been flawless. Tom could see that she was struggling to remember what chivalry meant, so he spoke up, "It's an ancient Earth concept where men are taught to be gallant and treat women with the utmost respect."

"I do not require respect, nor do I require your food. What I have is sufficient." When Seven attempted to hand back the food, Tom crossed his arms over his chest and sternly shook his head.

"No way, I'm not touching that. If you don't eat it, I'm just going to throw it into the fire." Her eyes narrowed angrily.

"That would be an inefficient use of our limited supplies."

"So you better eat it." Seven glared at him but finally relented and began to eat the ration bar. The guilt of eating part of Tom's ration immediately began to melt away as soon as the food settled in her stomach. The pain in her head and her leg momentarily disappeared, and she felt almost normal.

When Tom saw Seven visibly relax, he knew he had made the right choice with giving her his extra rations. He'd been through worse situations, he could survive on just fruit. Besides, B'Elanna was starting to get on his case about eating healthier and losing a little bit of weight. This probably wasn't what she had in mind, but it was the best she was going to get right now. Hopefully they wouldn't be stuck down here much longer though. He was starting to feel restless and miss his family. This was the longest he'd ever been away from Miral, and the longest he'd been away from B'Elanna in months, if not years. He hoped she was surviving in one piece, Miral wasn't exactly the easiest infant to look after. She constantly cried at random intervals in the middle of the night, as most babies her age did. Usually he and B'Elanna took turns alternating during the night, but with him gone, she was the only one left to take care of her. She was a strong, independent woman, and there was no doubt in his mind that she was doing a great job. Even so, he couldn't wait to get back and see his small family once again.

The following morning, Tom woke up and found Seven already sitting up, rubbing her leg uncomfortably. The grimace on her face told him that she was in pain, and they'd made the right decision not to leave camp for the day. He sat up and stretched.

"We should leave now if we're going to meet the Commander and Harry," Seven stated.

"Good morning to you too," Tom quipped as he got to his feet. "You're not coming, you need to rest."

"I am adequately rested and fully prepared to go with you to the rendezvous point," she argued.

"Is that why you were rubbing your leg when I woke up?" She scowled. She had been hoping that he hadn't seen that, but apparently she was wrong. "You rest, I'll give Chakotay your best, and hopefully he won't ask too many questions." That was Seven's hope too; Chakotay wasn't dumb, he'd think something was wrong.

"Very well," she complied as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Tom. he ignored her and instead grabbed the now empty canteen to fill with supplies after meeting with Harry and Chakotay.

Tom arrived at the rendezvous point a little later than he originally planned. When he looked up, he saw Harry's face peeking down from the surface, blocking out the bright sunlight

"Good morning, sunshine," Tom teased.

"How's it going?" Harry asked. Tom shrugged.

"Oh, you know, stranded on a planet, stuck in a cave with an uptight, demanding Borg, so, the usual." Harry looked around.

"Where's Seven?" he asked.

"She's back at the camp." While it may have been fairly easy for him to lie to Chakotay, Tom found it harder to lie to Harry; they were best friends and openly shared everything with each other. There were even times Tom told him things he didn't tell B'Elanna.

"Chakotay's not here, you can tell me where she really is."

"She really is back at camp," Tom defended incredulously. "Why would I lie about that?"

"It's just not like Seven to be off her feet like this."

"She's fine, and I'm fine too; all things considered. Now, can you give me our supplies for the day so I can get back to camp, and we can be on our way?" Now that Harry was getting suspicious, he wanted to get out of here before he tripped up and gave away the fact that Seven was sick.

"Fine." Just like he'd done last night, Harry lowered the canteen full of supplies down. As he did, he said, "I'm going to try something to get you guys out of there. I wouldn't get your hopes up, but I have an idea."

"Do you need me to do anything? We're probably going to stick closer to camp today, so I can help, as much as possible given the fact that we're stuck down here." Tom began to transfer the supplies to the canteen slung over his shoulder.

"No, I'll let you know tonight if it works." That was good enough for Tom. with whatever was going on with Seven, he wasn't sure how much help he could be. Right now, she was his main priority.

Chakotay awoke to find Harry already awake and preparing breakfast. Unaccustomed to not being one of the first people up, it felt odd to the First Officer. Groaning, he sat up and ran a hand over his face. The last thing he remembered was dozing off as the sun's early morning rays spilled over the horizon. Based on how high the sun was in the sky now, he assumed that that was at least three hours ago. Harry wordlessly handed him some fruit and the canteen of water.

"Why didn't you wake me?" he asked.

"I know you haven't been sleeping well, and I wanted to make sure you got some rest. Besides, it's not like you have to report to the bridge to meet with the Captain this morning." He had an excellent point there. Chakotay took a bite of the fruit and washed it down with some water. "Commander, I was thinking that we could try to reroute the transporter system through another system on the shuttle. We may be able to get Tom and Seven out of there."

"Are you sure it'll work?" Chakotay asked before taking another sip of water. They were running low and would have to go get more before it got too hot.

"It's worth a shot. I told Tom that we would try when I saw him this morning."  
Chakotay's heart sank. Oversleeping meant he'd missed his one chance to see Seven this morning. When added to the fact that he didn't see her last night either, it put him on edge. Logically, he knew she was alright, that Tom would keep an eye on her, but he still wanted the peace of mind of seeing her with his own two eyes.

"How are they holding up?"

"They're getting restless, just like us. I think they're running out of energy too. Tom said something about sticking closer to camp today." Chakotay pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. That was definitely not what he wanted to hear today. He figured that Tom and Seven had a better chance of finding a way out of the caves than he and Harry did of finding a way in.

"Well, let's get them out using the transporter then," he announced as he pushed himself to his feet. With any luck, Harry's plan would work, and they would at least all be together while waiting to be rescued. Maybe then they could focus on the real reason they were here, to help whoever sent out the distress call.

In the shuttle, Harry took a seat at the con and began to type across the panel. The shuttle immediately lit up and came to life. Chakotay sat next to him. As soon as he got to work, however, confusion flashed across his face.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked without glancing up from his work.

"Someone's been in here," Chakotay replied. Harry immediately spun around in his chair to face the First Officer.

"How do you know?" Chakotay shook his head.

"I don't know," he murmured. "It's just a feeling, but someone has definitely been in here." Harry felt uneasy. It was one thing to find out someone had been in their shuttle under the cover of a plasma storm, but it's another to find out they had been there when they were sleeping a few hundred yards away. Keeping watch had fallen by the wayside with only the two of them there. They may need to start keeping watch again.

"Well, if someone was here, they didn't mess with any of the systems, at least as far as I can tell. Everything seems to be running smoothly." No sooner did Harry open his mouth did the shuttle start beeping in protest of his commands.

Brows furrowed in frustration and confusion, Harry spun around in his seat and began to furiously type on the console in front of him. Chakotay followed his lead and did the same thing. The computer stopped beeping, for now.

"Someone's tried to tamper with the navigational system," Harry explained. "Even if we could get this shuttle off the ground, we wouldn't be able to tell where we're going and get to the rendezvous point." Try as he might to keep his expression neutral, Harry could tell that the First Officer was not only crestfallen but also incredibly stressed. Logically, he knew that they wouldn't have been able to get off this planet with the shuttle in its current condition, but there had still been a glimmer of hope. With the newfound damage to the navigational system, however, it was clear that that wasn't going to happen.

"Right now, let's focus on the transporter. I know we don't have any tools, but let's see what we can get done."

"Aye, Commander." Harry spun around in his seat once again and crossed the shuttle to take a look at the transporter panel. He had initially thought about running the transporter system through the navigational system, but he really was just making things up as he went. He hadn't ever really tried something like this before, so there was no way of knowing if this work in the first place.

The transporter panel was still cracked not only from whoever broke into the shuttle and damaged the system but also from Harry's outburst. To repair this system would take tools and time they didn't have, not to mention skills neither of them possessed. There was no way the panel would be functional again, at least not until they got back to _Voyager_ and had the proper supplies and expertise, meaning B'Elanna and Tom, to help. Their only hope was to find a way to reroute the transporter system through another system on the shuttle. Of course, that depended on if the other systems were working. So far, they had only discovered one more damaged system, but there could be more that they didn't know about yet.

Harry removed the metal panel from beneath the transporter console and crouched down in front of it. Chakotay materialized by his side and mimicked his stance. Both of them carefully analyzed the wires and gel packs in front of them. Neither of them had any idea how to even get started, but they knew they had to get working on it and fast. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Harry raked his fingers through his hair. Without any tools to work with, it would be a long and arduous day ahead of them.

Several hours later, Chakotay typed furiously at a panel on one side of the shuttle while Harry did his best underneath the control panel for the transporter. The heat they'd experienced outside over the past few days was nothing compared to the heat inside the shuttle. At least outside there was some hope of a breeze, no matter how faint it might be. Inside, the heat was made worse by the output from the computer. Chakotay wiped the sweat from his brow with the bottom of his shirt. Both men had abandoned their tunics and grey undershirts long ago. Normally, that wasn't Starfleet regulation during common away missions, but this was hardly a standard away mission, and Chakotay didn't mind if the rules were bent a little bit..

"How's it going?" he asked. They'd been at it for what seemed like forever with no success. Whoever had been in the shuttle had attempted to remove technological equipment without knowing what they were doing. As a result, the systems were heavily damaged and barely ran. Clearly this was a race that was unfamiliar with technology such as theirs before. Between that and the lack of tools, there was very little they could actually do at the moment.

"Okay, try again," Harry announced. Chakotay's fingers flew across the panel he stood at. For a moment, the computer lit up. His heart soared with elation. They'd done it. The transporter system was back up and running.

Chakotay's joy was short lived. Sparks flew out of the compartment Harry was working on, sending him flying backwards with his arm up to protect his face. Temporarily unmoved, Chakotay focused on the panel in front of him, but it had died completely. Whatever had happened blew that system as well.

"Damn it!" Harry exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet. He kicked the panel with all his might, denting it in the process. He didn't care. What was one more dent in a shuttle that barely worked right now?

"I'll try to reroute auxiliary power to the system, and we can try again." Chakotay sounded desperate. Just a few seconds ago, he thought this was going to work. Now, he was starting to have his doubts again. When he attempted to reroute more power to the panel, nothing happened. Confusion flashed across his face as he tried again. Once again, nothing happened. "I'm not getting any power over here." Harry began to work on the other side of the shuttle.

"I have minimal shuttle functions over here. It looks like we overloaded the system. We'll have to wait and let the system cool down." It wasn't exactly the news Chakotay wanted to hear right now. They'd already waited three days, he was wondering how many more days they'd be forced to wait.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Drawing in a sharp breath, Seven rolled over. Almost immediately, confusion washed over her. She wasn't sure what was wrong, but something felt off. After a few seconds, it dawned on her: while she had been asleep, Tom had crumpled up his outer tunic and put it under her head as a makeshift pillow. It was a sweet, yet unnecessary gesture. Given their current situation, her comfort was irrelevant. She rolled onto her side. A few feet away, Tom was curled up in his t-shirt with his long sleeved shirt underneath his head as a pillow. As of right now, Seven felt fine, or as fine as could be expected. Her headache was minimal, along with the pain in her leg. She got to her feet. There was definite discomfort, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Perhaps it was a sign that her body was starting to adjust to not regenerating, and she could move forward and not be constantly tethered to her alcove.

In an attempt to make it up to Tom for taking care of her the day before, Seven went to retrieve water in their canteen on her own; it was the least she could do. Mindful of her leg, which only ached a little bit, she walked to the water and back again. As she walked, the pain progressively got worse. Rest undoubtedly made the pain and discomfort better, but that wasn't a luxury she had. They had wasted yesterday sitting around camp while Chakotay and Harry searched for a way to find them, today they couldn't repeat that. It would be inefficient to waste another day sitting around camp. They would have to continue searching for a way out on their own or else she felt they would be stuck down here indefinitely. She would have to adapt to the pain and keep pushing forward.

Cool air swirled around Tom. At first, it was a minor inconvenience that gently pulled him from his sleep. Still mostly asleep, he tried groping for a blanket, but there was nothing for him to grab and ward off the uncomfortable sensation. Eventually, the cold was too much to handle, and he was wide awake. When he rolled over and saw that Seven was gone, his heart skipped a beat as he immediately scrambled to his feet. When he'd gone to sleep last night, she was fast asleep right across from him. Now, she was gone. If he lost her, Chakotay would definitely kill him, there was no doubt about it.

"Seven?" he called as he rushed down the length of the cave. There were only so many places she could go. He thought she could barely walk, or at least that's the impression he got yesterday. Given her physical situation yesterday, he couldn't figure out how she'd gotten so far. "Seven?" he repeated. With a confused look on her face, Seven appeared out of the darkness.

"There is no need to shout," she assured. The minute he saw her, Tom visibly relaxed.

"Shit, Seven, you scared the hell out of me."

"Expletives are hardly necessary. I awoke, you were still asleep, so I went to get water for the day." Without breaking stride, she began to walk back towards camp. Tom fell into step behind her and eyed her suspiciously. Her gait was a definite improvement after resting yesterday, but his trained eyes told him that she was still favoring her bad leg. It was a faint limp, but it was still there, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

"Yeah, well, next time let me know or something." He trailed after her. She seemed unbothered by his complaints as she continued to walk back to camp.

"You were asleep. It is my understanding that people do not like to be woken up when they are asleep." Tom rolled his eyes.

"Tell that to my daughter," he muttered under his breath. "But seriously, Seven, yesterday you could barely move, and now you're up and acting like everything is fine."

"I over exerted myself the past few days. It was irresponsible. Now I am back to my optimal functioning and am adequately prepared to continue our task today."

"If you're fine, why are you trying to hide your limp?" Tom asked smugly. Seven stopped mid-stride and spun around to glare at him angrily. Feeling victorious, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I am undamaged," she insisted. "We need to prepare to rendezvous with Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kim." She turned around and kept walking again. When she realized that Tom wasn't following her, she stopped and turned around once again. "Are you coming?" Sighing, Tom started walking again. He'd been so sure he'd backed Seven into a corner; he was still trying to figure out what exactly had just happened. How in the world had she managed to weasel her way into acting like everything was fine?

Tom used to think that B'Elanna was stubborn, but she was nothing compared to Seven. When it came to B'Elanna, she was just angry and quick tempered. If things didn't go her way, she was quick to snap and slow to apologize. It made for some tenuous moments in their marriage, but Tom had learned to adapt. In all honesty, he was more afraid about the years to come when Miral hit her teens. If she had her mother's Klingon temperament, then they were definitely in for some rough years ahead, especially given the close quarters in which they lived. Seven, on the other hand, was cool and collected at all times, which made it difficult to tell what she was planning. She used mental tricks to manipulate a person and get her way, and if that didn't work, she simply changed the subject and did what she wanted anyway. Tom was starting to pick up on that, although he wasn't entirely sure how to overcome that. She always seemed to be just half a step ahead of him. He'd heard the Captain and Chakotay talk about it several times, but he'd never really experienced it himself until now.

At the rendezvous point, relief washed over Chakotay as soon as he saw Seven appear beneath him. After not seeing her for a while, he wanted to make sure she was okay. Something just hadn't felt right, but she looked fine to him. The tension in his shoulders seemed to melt away, at least temporarily, as soon as he saw her. He hadn't even realized how stressed he was about not seeing her until he could finally relax. At first, he couldn't figure out why he had been so stressed, then it dawned on him: he hadn't seen Seven in roughly forty-eight hours. Normally, that would hardly be a reason to be stressed, but given the current circumstances, forty-eight hours could seem like a lifetime.

By the time they got to the hole, it took everything in Seven's power not to limp. It was obvious to her that she had pushed herself too much this morning, and she still had a long day ahead of her. She focused all the energy she had on walking tall and as if she didn't have any problems. She knew that if Chakotay saw her limping or even sensed that something wasn't right, it would cause him to worry unnecessarily. To cause him to worry would be inefficient, as the lead officer on this away mission, he needed to focus on finding whoever sent out the distress call and getting them out of the cave. Her well-being was hardly important in the grand scheme of things. She would find a way to adapt until they got back to _Voyager_ , she always did. Although, this time she was finding adapting a bit of a challenge. It was her burden to bear though, and she would find a way through this, somehow.

Tom and Seven stood just underneath the hole and looked up into the blinding light that streamed in from the outside. He was starting to miss the sunlight and even the heat that Harry and Chakotay had to endure day in and day out. It was much better than this damn cave. He missed feeling the heat of the sun of his skin and the fresh air. The air in this cave was always cool and damp.

"Any news?" he asked.

"Nothing," Harry replied. "Shuttle's still damaged, you're still stuck in a cave, and we still can't find any signs of whoever sent out that distress call."

"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine," Tom teased. "You're starting to sound like Tuvok. There has to be some good news."

"It feels a little cooler out here than yesterday," Chakotay said. It was the best they were going to get. Despite the fact that they had had far worse away missions, this one was clearly a disaster as well. All four of them wanted nothing more to get back to _Voyager_ and forget that this mission ever happened while putting as many lightyears as possible between them and this awful place.

"Well, it's constantly cool in here," Tom retorted.

"Poor baby," Harry teased with a roll of his eyes. If Tom was looking for sympathy, he definitely wasn't going to get it from Harry or Chakotay. While Tom and Seven were enjoying the nice, cool air in the caves, they had to suffer through the unyielding heat on the surface. It was enough to drive anyone mad.

"What's your plan for today?" Chakotay asked in an attempt to shift the conversation back to more important matters. Tom and Harry could give each other a hard time as much as they wanted when they got back to _Voyager_ , right now they needed to get their days started. With any luck, this would be their last rendezvous like this.

Tom opened his mouth to respond, but Seven beat him to it, "We are going to continue searching for a way out of the caves. We have already searched the caves extensively, but they appear to double back on each other. It is simply a matter of finding the right combination of turns to get out of here." Tom glanced at her. He didn't like her plan. She could barely walk, how did she expect to search the caves for a way out of here? They were sure to get lost or stranded without supplies somewhere deep in the bowels of this labyrinth if they went too far.

"We'll do the same," Chakotay added. "With any luck, we'll run into each other somewhere in the middle and get you guys out of there." He sounded falsely optimistic. The two groups somehow finding each other amongst the caves while aimlessly wandering around would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Even so, it was the only plan they had that could actually work. Besides, they'd beaten worse odds in the past.

Tom kept his doubts about Chakotay's plan to himself. He knew Seven would barely be able to walk, therefore it would be nearly impossible for them to meet somewhere in the middle of the caves today. They would be lucky if they could travel a few kilometers before turning back. Whatever was wrong with Seven was getting worse, and he didn't want to risk her health. Right then and there, he made the decision that they weren't leaving camp again today, but he kept that to himself for the time being. Bringing it up would only cause a plethora of questions from Chakotay that he didn't want to answer. Supplies were exchanged, along with the usual directions to rendezvous either at the camp or at the hole, depending on their situation at the end of the day. Tom knew they wouldn't be meeting at the camp, but he made sure to give off the impression that that was a possibility.

Once they were out of sight of Harry and Chakotay, Seven began to limp again. Tom immediately materialized at her side and grabbed her arm to stabilize her. She opened her mouth to protest but quickly closed it again. She knew he was only trying to help her, and she could barely walk on her own right now. Already, she felt drained from trying to act like she was alright in front of Chakotay. Logically, she could not venture far into the cave, it would only wear her out even more.

"Let's get you back to camp," Tom said as gently as possible as he steered her in the direction of camp when she tried to turn to walk deeper into the caves.

"I am undamaged enough to walk for a little while," Seven argued as she attempted to pull away and walk in the opposite direction. Tom took her by the shoulders and began to push her in the direction of the camp.

"Oh no you don't," he insisted. "The last thing I need is for you to collapse while we're walking, then I'll have to carry you back to camp." Under normal circumstances, he was certain he would be able to carry Seven, but these weren't normal circumstances. He was exhausted and fairly sure starting to become malnourished. It wasn't anything critical, but he wasn't fully functional and wouldn't be able to take care of Seven properly if something drastic were to happen to him.

"I can assure you, that will not happen."

"You better believe it's not going to happen, because I'm not going to let it. We're going back to camp, and I'm going to take a look at you. You told me that a day of resting was exactly what you needed to be on the mend, but you're not getting better, you're getting worse." Seven pursed her lips in frustration and protest. She was going crazy with all of Tom's hovering. She was more than capable of taking care of herself. She also knew that as field medic and assistant to the Doctor, it was his job to look after members of the away team, and since he couldn't get to Chakotay and Harry, that meant that all his attention was focused on her, whether she liked it or not.

When they got back to camp, Tom braced his arm behind Seven and carefully lowered her to the ground with surprising skill and grace. She felt foolish for not even being able to sit on the ground on her own, but she was also grateful for the help, leaving her feeling very conflicted. Letting out a sigh, she leaned against the wall of the cave and closed her eyes. In the time it took them to get back to camp, her headache had been getting progresively worse, to the point where she almost couldn't stand it. It felt as if her brain was twice its normal size and was trying to escape from its confinement. The slightest movement or jostle was enough to cause her extreme pain. It was no wonder no Borg ever allowed itself to go so long without regenerating, not only was it inefficient, but it felt like torture. Between her leg and her head, Seven was sure she'd never felt such pain in her life.

As soon as he was sure that Seven was comfortable, Tom pulled out his tricorder in an attempt to figure out what was wrong. Knowing that it wouldn't take very long for the device to tell him what was wrong with her, she immediately pushed his hand away.

"Put it away," she protested. "I just need to rest." He immediately pulled off his outer tunic and bunched it up in a ball once again.

"Lay down," he urged gently as he carefully helped her lay on the cave floor. Completely drained of all energy for the time being, Seven didn't protest. The second her head hit the makeshift pillow, she was out like a light.

Tom sat next to Seven's head and watch her sleep. She looked peaceful and calm, a stark difference to her usual serious demeanor. Whatever was going on with her had to be serious for her to be acting this way. He wondered if he'd made the right choice not to tell Chakotay what was going on here. Clearly this was far more serious than not feeling well. She was Borg, she didn't get sick. In fact, Tom couldn't remember a single time that she was sick or at all felt under the weather, with the exception of the times her implants had malfunctioned. Every time something was wrong with her, it was directly related to her Borg components, but this appeared to be a human illness to him. Perhaps her human physiology was finally asserting itself much more, and she was dealing with her first human illness. While it was unfortunate, it also meant that she was one step closer to being completely human. The timing was unfortunate, but he was confident that she would be fine with a little rest. While he watched her sleep, Tom tried to think of what else could cause her to feel this way. Seeing as she was fine before she got to the planet, he concluded that it could be something environmental as well. Of course, then it would have affected all of the away team, not just her. Perhaps it was a virus or food poisoning that she acquired from some fruit she ate. It was the only thing that could explain the sudden onset of symptoms. If that were the case, then they would need the medical supplies on _Voyager_ to treat her. If they didn't get off this planet soon, there was no telling what would happen because of this mysterious virus. His only prayer was that more members of the away team didn't come down with it as well.

Seven's eyes fluttered open. She was still curled up with Tom's shirt under her head as a pillow. She ran her hand over her face sleepily and propped herself up. Her hair stuck up all over the place, causing Tom to crack a small smile from where he sat a few meters away.

"I fail to see what is so humorous," she stated. She sounded like her usual self, which was a huge relief to him. Perhaps all she needed was some more rest.

"Your hair's a mess," he explained. Her hands immediately flew to her hair and removed the pin that held her hair in place with a flick of her wrist. The action immediately sent her cornsilk locks tumbling past her shoulders in delicate waves. Tom had to wonder why she never wore her hair down, it looked very flattering on her. With surprising expertise, Seven pulled her hair back into its usual hairstyle and firmly pinned it in place.

"Is that satisfactory?" she asked. Tom shrugged.

"I don't see what the big deal is, it's not like you have to impress anyone down here. I imagine that I look like a mess as well."

"Your appearance is adequate." He let out an overdramatic sigh of relief and pretended to wipe his brow.

"Whew, well that's a relief, because adequate was exactly what I was going for when I woke up this morning." The joke was lost on Seven, who attempted to get to her feet. "Whoa, where do you think you're going?" he asked as he gently pushed her back to a sitting position.

"I need to stretch. I am undamaged. There is no need for concern."

"Yeah, well, I want to try to figure out what's wrong with you before I let you run all over the place." He pulled out his tricorder and began to scan her. While he didn't have a medical tricorder with him, Tom hoped that his would be enough to figure out what was going on with her.

Seven sighed but didn't protest this time. Her head hurt too much to come up with a plausible reason for him to stop scanning her. She knew her condition was deteriorating, and it would only continue to do so at a much quicker speed over the next few days. She wouldn't be able to keep the real extent of her condition a secret for much longer. It would be illogical to keep this a secret for much longer. She may as well come clean and get it over with.

"That is unnecessary," she argued. "I know what is wrong with me." Tom froze and looked up from his tricorder. This was news to him. He'd just spent the past two hours trying to figure out what was wrong with her and what possible solutions there could be down here in a cave with no medical supplies. He raised his eyebrow in intrigue as a silent signal for her to continue. "I need to regenerate," Seven admitted. He put away the tricorder.

"Hell, Seven, why didn't you tell me sooner?" His voice came out terse and agitated. It hadn't been his intention, but it just came out that way. He couldn't believe she'd kept such a big secret from him, and especially from Chakotay. This put her very life in danger if she didn't regenerate and soon.

"It is inconsequential. My mobile regenerator was on the shuttle, therefore it is gone. I simply have to live with the consequences until _Voyager_ returns to rescue us." Seven's tone caught him off guard. She appeared to have distanced herself from the severity of the situation. She spoke about it as if she were talking about what she had for dinner the night before.

"And what happens if you don't regenerate in time?" This was completely new territory to Tom. He was utterly unfamiliar with Borg technology and medical needs, usually the Doctor handled her medical issues personally. He knew Harry had some sort of basic understanding of the Borg, but Harry wasn't here right now. He would have to find a way to make this work.

"It would be inefficient for Borg not to regenerate. Not even the Collective knows what happens. We will continue to find out."

"No we won't," Tom insisted. "I'm going to do everything in my power to take care of you until Chakotay and Harry find us." He pulled out his tricorder and began to scan her once again. "What symptoms have you been having?"

"Nothing I cannot handle." He looked up from his tricorder and glared at her.

"What symptoms have you been having?" he repeated in an agitated tone.

"A splitting headache, difficulty controlling my hand, inability to walk and exhaustion." She rattled off the symptoms formally and almost nonchalantly. Tom made a mental note of them.

"You're also running a slight fever," he observed. "How long have you had these symptoms?"

"Since we got down in the cave." His head shot up in surprise.

"And when were you planning on telling me?"

"I wasn't." He snapped the tricorder shut with an agitated _click_ and returned it to its holster on his hip.

"When I meet with Chakotay and Harry this evening, I'll tell them. We may need to try blasting open this wall even if we risk the structural integrity of the rest of the cave. At least then we'll be able to get you out of here, and we can start searching for whoever took your mobile regenerator." Already, a plan was starting to form in Tom's head. It wasn't the best plan in the world, but it was all they had right now.

"Please don't," Seven begged as she grabbed Tom's arm in desperation. The action caught him completely off guard. She didn't look confident, unemotional, but instead torn and desperate. He even swore he saw the shine of a tear in her eye, but it was too dark for him to be certain. "Chakotay can't know. There is nothing he can do about it, and it would only cause him to become distracted and to act recklessly. He would not be as efficient if he knew, and he has to think about the away team as a whole, not to mention helping whoever sent the distress call."

"Seven, when you had me lying to Chakotay before, I thought you were just tired. But this is serious. You could die." She continued to clutch his arm.

"I'll be fine," she assured, although she didn't sound very confident. Even in the limited light, Tom could see the fear in her eyes. She had no idea what awaited her as she continued to need to regenerate. This was something they would need to figure out together, somehow.

"If they don't get to us in two days, I'm telling him," Tom compromised. It was a deal that left a bad taste in his mouth. He wasn't sure if coming out and telling Chakotay the truth would do more harm than good. This was uncharted territory for both of them. With any luck, Chakotay and Harry would appear at their camp by the end of the day and lead them out of here. Then they could focus on finding Seven's mobile regenerator and getting out of here. Seven didn't like the suggestion either, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She knew she was putting Tom in a difficult situation, and he was trying to make the best of it. She released his arm and sat back against the cave. If he was going to give her two days, then she was going to take it.

Given Seven's current condition, Tom knew it was impossible for them to go anywhere today. Now that he knew what was wrong with her, he instant regretted all the walking and exploring they did, it undoubtedly made her condition worse when she should have been conserving her energy. He thought about all the wasted time, although he knew that there wasn't a lot that they could do differently. They had a problem, and they'd worked to resolve it. Unfortunately, that resolution probably did more harm than good to Seven. A second day of just sitting around the camp was hardly exciting, but Tom knew that it was for the best. There was absolutely no way they could go anywhere, not when she could barely walk more than a few meters. If she was going to get better, all they could do was sit around camp and hope for the best. As they both sat around, Seven dozed off every once in awhile, but they mostly kept to their own thoughts about their current situation.

Uncomfortable silence was never one of Tom's favorite things, but, at the same time, he found that he was running out of things to say to Seven. Very rarely did they interact on _Voyager_ for extended periods of time outside of their duties as Senior Officers. After several days stuck down here in the cave, he found that he no longer knew what to talk about to her. Besides, conversation with her felt like a challenge to him. It felt like torture. There had to be something they could talk about. She'd already inquired about Miral and B'Elanna, which was very kind of her, and he knew that talking about her romantic relationship with Chakotay was completely out of the question. There had to be something else they could talk about, something to pass the time, especially if they were just going to be stuck sitting around camp all day.

Just when Tom had given up on thinking of something to say to Seven to pass the time, an idea came to him. It was so simple, he had no idea why he hadn't thought of it sooner. Yes, it did in a way breach his promise to himself not to bring up her romantic relationship with Chakotay, but he was willing to bend the self-imposed rule just a little bit.

"What are you going to get Chakotay for his birthday?" he asked her out of the blue. Seven's eyes shot up in surprise.

"I beg your pardon?" She sounded confused and caught off guard by the question.

"Chakotay's birthday. It's coming up soon. What are you going to get him?"

"I was unaware of Commander Chakotay's impending birthday," Seven admitted. She sounded disappointed in herself. In her efforts to be perfect companion to Chakotay, she'd apparently failed in the simplest of ways by failing to remember his birthday, which she knew was of the utmost importance to humans. Tom raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Really? I would have thought you committed everyone's birthdays to memory ages ago."

"The Borg do not celebrate birthdays, it is an inefficient use of time. I find the notion of celebrating the day of your birth year after year pointless."

"Oh come on, Seven, you're not Borg anymore, you're human, and humans celebrate birthdays whether you want to or not." Already, Seven's mind was spinning as she tried to think of what to do for Chakotay's birthday. She wasn't sure what was appropriate. This would require more research when she got back to _Voyager_. Right now, her headache was back with a vengence, which made it hard to think straight. It was getting worse. It felt like a giant weight was pressing down on the side of her skull at all times without any sign of relenting.

"How did Commander Chakotay celebrate last year?" she inquired. Perhaps she could use his celebration last year to get some ideas for how to celebrate this year. As his girlfriend, she knew it would be expected of her to do something, no matter how challenging she found it.

"Don't you remember? The Captain threw a big party in the mess hall. The entire crew went. Most of the crew got drunk and all came to their stations the next day hungover." None of this sounded familiar to Seven. She very rarely drank, usually it was when she was with Chakotay, and she found the notion of the majority of the crew performing their duties hungover highly unprofessional and irresponsible.

"I do not participate in most social functions aboard _Voyager_. I find them tedious and an inefficient use of time, especially when it comes to intoxication."

"Oh come on, Seven, live a little," Tom prompted. "The Captain will probably want to throw another party, and you should help since you're doing...whatever it is you're doing with Chakotay." Tom knew he shouldn't have brought up the fact that Seven and Chakotay were dating. He remembered her reaction the other day and knew it was a bad idea. It just slipped out. It hadn't been how he intended the conversation to go.

"I will have to meet with the Captain to start the planning process as soon as we return to _Voyager_ ," she said stiffly. "I will also need to conduct more research on romantic relationships and their correlation to birthday celebrations."

"Research?" Tom scoffed. He had no idea why that surprised him, but it did. "You've been doing research about your relationship with Commander Chakotay?" He couldn't help but chuckle. He tried to imagine how things might have turned out if he had done research before starting to date B'Elanna. He probably would have realized that Klingons are crazy and went running for the hills.

"I have conducted extensive research to plan the perfect dates and romantic encounters. It seemed like the most efficient way to initiate a relationship we were both comfortable with," Seven replied haughtily. She shouldn't have said anything about her research to Tom. she knew him well enough to know that now he wasn't going to ever drop it.

"How long have you guys been dating?" he pressed.

"I told you before that that is none of your business."

"Yeah, and I'm asking again, and I'm going to keep asking until you answer me. You might as well just answer my question." Seven stopped to think. How long had they been dating now? At this point, it felt so natural to them, as if they had always been together.

"Approximately nine weeks," she replied. Tom's eyes nearly doubled in size.

"Nine weeks?" he exclaimed. "And nobody on _Voyager_ 's found out yet?" That was definitely impressive. They must be jumping through hoops to keep their secret. Next time he wanted to keep a secret on the starship, he would make sure to turn to Seven and Chakotay for some pointers. It was next to impossible to keep anything a secret onboard for one week, let alone nine.

"That would be correct." Tom scooted closer to Seven.

"At this point, you need to be more spontaneous in your relationship," he explained excitedly. If there was one thing he felt confident about, it was his experience with romantic relationships, no matter how fleeting some of them might have been over the years. At least he didn't have a penchant for picking the wrong women like Harry did. "Don't plan things, just see what happens. If things are serious between you and Chakotay, things will happen naturally between the two of you."

"So research is unnecessary?" Seven sounded skeptical. Not doing research or adequately preparing went against everything she believed in. On the other hand, her last date with Chakotay had been somewhat spontaneous, and she found that those unplanned moments were the most enjoyable.

"I mean, maybe a little bit of research to find out his favorite food, or what he wants for his birthday, but you don't need to conduct hours of research before every date. Just see what happens."

"That sounds most inefficient. What if the date is unsuccessful?" Tom shrugged.

"That's a part of the dating experience." A small smile crept across his face, which quickly turned into a laugh. Seven raised her eyebrow in confusion and curiosity.

"I fail to see what is so humorous."

"When B'Elanna and I first started dating, we took some leave while orbiting this planet. I don't even remember what planet it was, but we were so excited to get off _Voyager_ , even for a few hours. I planned out this really elaborate picnic. It really my shot to show B'Elanna how romantic I could be."

"What happened?" Tom chuckled.

"We ended up getting lost in the jungle and falling into this huge mud pit. We had to be transported directly to our quarters from the planet because the Captain didn't want mud all over her nice, shiny starship. We never even went on our picnic. It was a disaster, but we look back at that date all the time and laugh at how awful it was. Despite all the bickering while we were lost, we really enjoyed ourselves, and I realized that if we can put up with each other during such a terrible date, we can put up with each other through anything." Seven cracked a small smile. At first, Tom thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but when he looked closer, he realized that she was in fact smiling at the story. He'd seen her smile so few times that he wasn't sure how to react. He knew that pointing it out would be a mistake, it would only cause her to stop. For a moment, he felt like there was a close relationship forming between the two of them. This was something he didn't expect to happen, as Seven tended to keep to herself. For a moment, she didn't look sick or like a Borg but instead a normal young woman.

Seven carefully thought about the suggestion. She didn't like the thought of not having a date planned out, but there was no way she could possibly plan out every single one of their dates. At some point, she would have to give way to spontaneity, so she might as well get over her discomfort and plan for more spontaneity in her relationship with Chakotay when they got back to _Voyager_. Perhaps she could suggest an evening on the holodeck exploring various programs to find one they both enjoy. By doing so, there was some sort of planned activity, but they still had the freedom to explore their interests together. Her conversation with Tom definitely gave her something to think about.

Later that evening, Tom knew it was time to leave to meet Chakotay and Harry to get supplies to get them through the night. He glanced over at Seven, who had dozed off once again. He didn't have the heart to wake her; she obviously needed her rest. He had a feeling that her absence would be noticed by Chakotay, but that was something he would just have to deal with. Despite his promise to Seven, this may be the perfect opportunity to fill in the First Officer about the severity of their situation.

As he walked to the rendezvous point, Tom mentally debating telling Chakotay about Seven. It seemed wrong to lie to the First Officer, not to mention the fact that it could be considered a court martial offense. He outranked Seven, so he was free to ignore her pleas for secrecy and make her own decision. On the other hand, what good would it do to tell Chakotay? They would still be stuck in here with no hope of getting out. She was right, it would only cause him to worry unnecessarily. While Seven rested, he had carefully scanned the cave with his tricorder. Based on his observations, their phasers didn't have enough firepower to destroy the cave-in, and even if they did, they would undoubtedly just cause another one, which ruined their backup plan to get out of here. The only way out of here would be through the caves, which Seven couldn't manage right now, meaning they were essentially stuck here until further notice.

When Tom arrived at the hole, Chakotay and Harry were already waiting for him. He hadn't realized that he was running late. He'd been so caught up in his mental debate that time simply slipped past him, and he still didn't have a final decision. He would have to play it by ear and see how things went.

"Hey," he called up to the pair.

"Hey yourself," Harry shot back. "Where's your uniform? If we can wear them in this heat, you can wear them down there in the nice, cool cave."

"My uniform?" Tom looked down. He'd been so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't even realize that he was wearing just his grey undershirt and pants. "Oh, yeah, Seven's back at camp resting. I think the past few days have really worn her out. She's using my uniform as a pillow."

"Aww, isn't that sweet of you," Harry teased.

"Is Seven okay?" Chakotay demanded. Tom's heart skipped a beat. Now was the moment of truth. He could either come clean and tell Chakotay the truth or he could keep his promise to Seven. Neither solution seemed particularly appealing to him, but he knew he had to make a decision and fast.

"Yeah...she's fine. Just tired. I told her that I would meet up with you guys for the evening, and she'll come in the morning so I can sleep in a little bit. She's always up earlier than me anyway. It just seemed to make sense." From where he was standing, Tom was sure he saw Chakotay visibly relax. The First Officer bought his pathetic lie, at least for the time being.

"Good." Chakotay got to his feet. In all honesty, he had very little interest in sticking around if Seven wasn't there, he wanted to talk to her. "Harry, you take care of getting Tom supplies for the night, I'm going to go make camp for the night."

"Aye, Commander." Chakotay nodded at Tom before disappearing from sight. Harry kept his eyes locked on Chakotay until he was well out of earshot. "Okay, Tom, what's really wrong with Seven?" he demanded in a low voice, just in case Chakotay happened to overhear.  
"Nothing!" Tom insisted incredulously.

"You've always been a shitty liar, now are you going to tell me what's wrong with her?"

"She's tired, Harry. I mean, we're talking over 20 kilometers a day, and she's wearing those heels and tight fitting bodysuits. I'd be tired too if that's what I had to wear." Despite the severity of the situation, Harry couldn't help but laugh. "What's so funny?"

"I'd give you a week's worth of my replicator rations if you put on one of Seven's bodysuits and heels." Tom's eyes narrowed. If Harry knew the severity of the situation, he wouldn't be making jokes like this. The teasing did help with his current stress level though.

"I'd give you two weeks if you did it," he retorted. Harry snorted.

"Yeah, and you'd be sleeping on the bridge because B'Elanna would kill you." Unfortunately, Tom knew that Harry was right. B'Elanna would probably skin him alive if he gave away that many replicator rations for something as frivolous as seeing Harry in drag. They had digressed, and Harry wanted to make sure everything was alright with Seven. "But seriously, Tom, keep an eye on Seven. Chakotay's already stressed out, and all this weird behavior is only making it worse."

"Don't worry, Harry. I've got this. Seven's fine." Harry didn't buy it for a second, but he couldn't pursue the issue further. He had to get back to camp, and he knew that Tom wasn't going to change his story. He also knew that there had to be a pretty good reason for his best friend to be lying to him, they had always had an open relationship.

When Harry returned to the camp, he found Chakotay staring into the fire in front of him. He sat on a rock next to the fire with his arms draped carelessly across his knees. Rather than interrupt the First Officer's thoughts, he began to gather together the fruit for dinner. It was then that he realized that they were out of ration bars. Until _Voyager_ returned, it looked like they were only going to be eating that fruit they'd found. While it wasn't the most filling meal, at least they'd found something here that was edible. One thing was for sure, when they got back to the starship, they would definitely enjoy Chell's cooking. It was a strange thought that caused Harry to crack the faintest hint of a smile. Never before did he ever think that he would ever miss Chell's food.

Fully aware that Chakotay needed to eat, Harry put a handful of fruit next to him before disappearing into the cave to give him some privacy. It barely registered to Chakotay that the food was there. Instead, he continued to stare at the flames dancing in front of him. They were hypnotizing as he got lost in his own thoughts. Seven and Tom had been stuck in the cave for the past four days. Even after searching the caves extensively, they were still no closer to getting them out of there. It almost felt like they had to find the right combination of twists and turns that would magically lead them to pair. Letting out a dejected sigh, Chakotay's shoulders slouched. Just a few days ago, he'd been grateful for this away mission: they'd be here for a few days, render aid to whoever sent out the distress call and maybe even get to enjoy some time in the desert. Now, however, it was starting to fall apart. His only consolation was that it couldn't get any worse.

The following morning, Tom rolled over and sat up. Pain radiated through his neck, it was a side effect of sleeping on the cold, hard ground for yet another night. What he wouldn't give to have his old bed back. Hell, he'd even prefer sleeping on the uncomfortable, lumpy piece of furniture they claimed was a couch over this. Groaning, Tom tilted his head from one side to the other several times until his neck cracked loudly. He let out a sigh of relief as the pain slowly dissipated. His back still ached, but the worse pain was gone from his neck.

With the pain in his neck now gone, Tom got to his feet and started to get his morning started. Still half asleep, he nearly tripped over something on the ground. After several days camping here, he thought he knew every inch of the minimal camp, even in the limited light. There shouldn't be anything so close to him, he'd made sure to clear away all the large rocks when setting up the camp days ago.

"Fuck," he muttered. "What the hell?" Upon careful examination, he crouched down and discovered that it was Seven. Confusion flashed across his face. Normally she was awake at this point and getting the camp set up for the day. "Seven, wake up," he murmured as he gently shook her shoulder. Her head flopped to the side with a loose strand of hair tumbling across her forehead, but otherwise she didn't move. "Seven?" His confusion gave way to concern. "Seven!" When he brushed her hair back from her face, his hand recoiled in horror. Her skin felt like it was on fire. Tom immediately scrambled for his tricorder, blindly groping for it in his haste and desperation. He flipped it open and scanned Seven, although it told him what he already knew: her temperature was up to a hundred and three degrees.

 **Author's Note:** Make sure to leave a review! I'm also super excited to announce that I've been working on a new Chakotay/Seven story that I think you guys will like. I'll probably start posting that one in a week or two, once I get a few things worked out. Keep an eye out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

 _Images swirled before Seven. As soon as she began to register what she saw, it disappeared and was quickly replaced with another image before being quickly replaced with another image. It all happened so quickly, like if the Doctor was flashing through one of his holoimage presentations too quickly. It was enough to give her a headache. She saw flashes of her past._ _The Raven_ _melted into a Borg curb, which melted into_ _Voyager_ _all in the blink of an eye. She began to run down the hall that stretched without end before her as her surroundings continued to morph and change. The constant changes left her feeling disoriented and confused. One second she would be rushing down a long corridor, the next it would change into a dead end, forcing her to change course at a moment's notice. She was alone. Never before had she seen the corridors of_ _Voyager_ _so empty. Even in the middle of the night, she always came across someone every few minutes. Whenever images of_ _Voyager_ _flashed before her, however, she knew she was completely and utterly alone. For some reason, her movement felt sluggish and labored. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to get her bearings._

" _Seven." Her head whipped around. Despite the voice calling her name, she was still alone. It was as if all three ships had been completely abandoned. Something wasn't right._

" _I'm right here," she stated loudly as she stopped running. She squared her shoulders and looked around to find the source of the voices. Nobody was anywhere near her._

" _Seven," the voice repeated. No, the voices repeated. It was the Collective, but she could also hear Chakotay, the Captain, the Doctor and even the faintest hint of her parents mixed into cacophony. The voice surrounded her, steadily growing louder until they were almost deafening. All it did was repeat her name over and over again, almost in a chant of sorts._

" _State your business," she shouted as she clapped her hands over her ears and stumbled backwards. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. The voices continued to grow louder, as if everyone were hovering right over her, screaming at the top of their lungs even though there wasn't anyone there. Seven was sure her head was going to explode._

Tom gently pressed the back of his hand against Seven's cheek. It might have been an old school method, but it still got the job done. It wasn't that he didn't trust his tricorder, but he felt compelled to double check. Unfortunately, his tricorder had been correct, she was literally on fire. Beneath his touch, her head whipped back and forth, and she began to mutter under her breath.

"Seven, wake up," he prompted as gently as possible. Gasping, her eyes flew open. Disoriented, her unfocused eyes darted back and forth in the darkness, and her breaths came out in short, labored bursts. She attempted to push Tom's hand away weakly while muttering something he couldn't understand under her breath. "I'm going to meet Chakotay and Harry. I'll be back in twenty minutes." He hated the prospect of leaving her, especially in such a delicate condition, but they needed food, and he needed to tell them what was going on. This had gone on for too long. Seven grabbed his arm, her metallic fingers digging into the exposed flesh of his arm. Suddenly, she looked coherent.

"Don't tell Chakotay," she pleaded desperately. "I am undamaged, I just need to rest."

All Tom said was, ,"I'll be right back," There was no way he was going to keep this from Chakotay, he didn't care how much Seven begged or pleaded. This was a desperate situation, and it was time the First Officer was made aware of just how precarious their situation was.

Tom rushed to the rendezvous point as fast as he could. His muscles screamed in protest from the sudden burst of movement after spending so many nights sleeping on the ground with nothing but a balled up shirt as a pillow. He ignored the discomfort and pushed forward without breaking his stride. He had to get to the hole as quickly as possible so he could get back to Seven. It went against all his medical training to leave her alone like this, but they weren't exactly in an ideal situation, and they would have to adapt. With any luck, she wouldn't even realize that he was gone. They wouldn't be able to last much longer down here in the cave; they needed to find a way out of here and fast. Only then could they focus on finding Seven's mobile regenerator and repairing the shuttle to get out of here.

When Tom arrived at the hole, there was still no sign of Harry or Chakotay; he was early, forcing him to wait. He nervously paced underneath the hole. The light from above quickly passed over his hunched shoulders before disappearing again as he walked from one side of the cave to the other. His mind whirled as he tried to think of what to say to Chakotay, this situation had to be handled delicately, not that it would make matters any better. He knew he would be incredibly mad. This was something that should have been brought up days ago, this was a big secret to keep. Tom knew that if something were wrong with B'Elanna, he would want to know immediately, and he'd be furious if someone kept it from him. Tom was actually glad he was stuck down here, at least it would put some distance between him and Chakotay when he had to break the news to him, not that he expected him to do anything rash.

Time seemed to crawl at a snail's pace for Tom as he anxiously waited for Chakotay and Harry to show up. Usually he didn't mind if they were running a little late, it usually gave him a chance to think of a plan for the day if it was the morning or catch his breath if it was the evening. Today, however, he needed to talk to Chakotay and fast, time wasn't on their side. He still had no idea what to say. Every scenario he came up with in his head seemed wrong. Should he be blunt or try to break the news to him gently? Should he come clean and say that he's known for a few days that something was wrong or keep that information to himself? What could he tell Chakotay about Seven's condition? He knew almost nothing other than the fact that she desperately needed to regenerate, and she had an alarmingly high fever. He knew Chakotay would ask a million questions, questions he didn't have the answer to.

At long last, the faint voices of Chakotay and Harry trickled down through the hole, instantly causing Tom to freeze in his tracks. His heart pounded in his chest, and he wiped his hands nervously on his pants as his mind continued to race. He still had no idea what to tell Chakotay, but he was out of time. It would probably be best just to come clean and tell him everything; to keep more secrets would only make matters worse. He took a deep, shaky breath and attempted to collect his thoughts. A million thoughts plagued him. He thought about Seven. Would Chakotay be angry that he left her behind? He couldn't exactly bring her with him, and he needed to come to the rendezvous point. Tom also thought about how Chakotay would react and how he would react if the tables were turned. He'd be furious. Although the First Officer tended to be calmer than he was, he still felt that it was difficult to gauge how he would react to this. He took another deep, somewhat calming breath and approached the hole. It was now or never.

Harry appeared first. In a way, it was a relief to Tom. It gave him a few more seconds to think of something to say, but still nothing good came to mind. He decided that he just had to say everything and then let Chakotay react however he would, it wasn't like he could stop him.

Harry opened his mouth, but Tom cut him off, "We have a problem." Confusion immediately flashed across Harry's face. Chakotay appeared to materialize out of nowhere, which instantly caused Tom's heart to skip a beat. He'd been hoping against all the odds that it would just be Harry here this morning, although he knew that that probably wasn't going to happen.

"What kind of problem?" Chakotay pressed urgently. After everything that had been going wrong with this away mission, he had been hoping against all the odds for some good news.

"It's Seven," Tom blurted out. Once the floodgates opened, there was no stopping him. The words spilled out freely. "I've known something was wrong for a few days, but I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure. She was in pain, getting confused, not acting like herself. I thought it was the stress of being stuck down here. We haven't been able to leave the camp the past two days, she's been in too much pain. She finally told me last night, she needs to regenerate, and it's getting bad. When I woke up this morning she has a fever of a hundred and four, and I don't know what to do. I have no medical supplies, not that they would do any good. We need an immediate medical evacuation so she can regenerate and get to the Doctor." Once the words were out in the open, Tom felt as if a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He could actually relax, even if it was just a little bit. There was still a life or death situation at hand. At least now he wasn't keeping secrets anymore.

While Tom felt significantly better, it felt as if the ground had fallen out from under Chakotay. His mind spun as Tom's words sank in, and he felt physically sick. He'd been so caught up trying to get Seven and Tom out of there that it didn't even dawn on him that she needed to regenerate. How could he have been so clueless and self-absorbed? He tried to think of a solution, but there was nothing they could do. Tom was right, an immediate medical evacuation was the only solution.

"How bad is it?" he demanded once he finally found his voice. He sounded stressed, and his voice was full of emotion.

"Pretty bad," Tom admitted. "I'm sorry, Commander. She begged me not to tell you, but I can't keep it to myself any longer. I don't know what to do. If I had some medical supplies, I might be able to stabilize her condition a little bit until we could get out of here, but all I have is my tricorder. She needs immediate medical attention back on _Voyager_." Tom sounded genuinely apologetic. There was no way Chakotay could blame him. The normally easy going and carefree man seemed distraught, which only added to the severity of the situation.

"How much longer can she last?" Chakotay asked. His voice was tight with stress and frustration. Tom shrugged.

"I don't know," he admitted. "She said she doesn't even know what happens to a Borg when it can't regenerate; the Collective doesn't know, it would be inefficient. All I know is that her condition has been steadily deteriorating, and we need to get her out of here and back to _Voyager_ as soon as possible." Chakotay had no idea where to start. Getting Tom and Seven out of the cave was only half the problem. They needed to get back to _Voyager_ , which was currently impossible. He thought they'd simply be able to wait it out until they missed their rendezvous and then be rescued a few days later. Yes, they'd be tired, dirty and hungry, but they'd been through worse. Now, it was a matter of life or death. They could no longer afford to wait it out.

Chakotay could feel the pressure on his shoulders increasing exponentially. It was a physical pain bearing down on him, pressing down on him, nearly crushing him in the process. He always knew what to do, always had some sort of plan, no matter how unconventional it might be. It was why he'd been such a strong Maquis captain. There had been so many times that he got the _Val Jean_ out of trouble by the skin of their teeth. It had taken a lot of creativity and ingenuity, but he always managed to think of something. Now, when it was perhaps most important to him, he couldn't think of anything. His mind swirled with thought of Seven, making it difficult to think clearly. All he could focus on was the fact that she was extremely ill, and he couldn't even be by her side to comfort her and take care of her like he should be able to. He let out a sigh.

Harry could tell that Chakotay felt lost. In all honesty, it was very disconcerting to see his commanding officer appear so lost as to what the next steps would be. He knew he would have to take charge of this situation, at least until Chakotay got his head screwed on straight.

"We're going to head back to the shuttle to see if there are any medical supplies they left behind," he announced. It was a longshot, but it was the best shot they had right now. It was the least they could do. With any luck, there was something left behind that would be useful. He might be able to extract some of the Borg technology from the Delta Flyer to help Seven regenerate. "We'll meet back here in an hour."

"Got it." It felt strange to Tom to be taking orders from Harry, but at least someone was calling the shots now. Harry tapped Chakotay on the shoulder as he got to his feet, which drew the First Officer out of his deep, conflicting thoughts. They had to get back to the shuttle and start looking right away. Right now, it was Seven's best chance.

The second Chakotay got back to the shuttle, he began to blindly yank open every compartment he could reach. He looked like a mad man, desperately searching each one for something, anything they could use to help. Whoever had been through the shuttle had been incredibly thorough; it was a miracle they found those ration bars in the first place. He knew there was nothing left. They'd been over this shuttle with a fine toothed comb so many times. Both he and Harry knew that, but it was the only way they could feel useful right now. Harry helped Chakotay search, but apparently not quickly enough. Chakotay continued to brush past him, urgently searching every nook and cranny of the small craft.

"There's nothing left," Harry said, finally admitting what they both knew to be true but refused to acknowledge.

"There has to be something," Chakotay announced in desperation.

"I'm sorry, Commander, but there's nothing. We're lucky we found those ration bars." He knew he was right, but in his desperation to do something, anything to help Seven, he refused to give up. He continued to search each compartment and drawer, carefully scrutinizing every inch, just to make sure. His mind raced as he tried to find anything left behind.

While Chakotay continued to search, Harry did the only thing he could think of to help. He sat at the communication panel, and his fingers flew across the console. As far as he could tell, the communication system was still fully functional. He knew it was a long shot, especially given the amount of interference in the atmosphere, but it was the least he could do.

"Away team to _Voyager_ , we have an emergency. I repeat, we have a medical emergency." The more Harry spoke about the situation, the more frenzied his voice became; it was as if talking about it made the situation all the more real to him. "Please, hurry." He ended the transmission and programmed it to play on a loop. With any hope, _Voyager_ would at least be able to pick up part of the distress signal and alter course to come get them before their designated rendezvous time.

Harry glanced over at Chakotay, who continued to search for any sort of supplies, completely oblivious to the emergency transmission that had just been sent out. He went over and put a tentative hand on the First Officer's shoulder. This madness had to end. Searching here was a waste of time, he shouldn't have suggested coming here in the first place, but it was the only thing that came to mind.

"Chakotay, there's nothing here. We need to get back to Tom and start looking at a way to get them out of there." His voice was gentle but forceful, just like Chakotay's when he gave orders. There was a moment of clarity in Chakotay's brown eyes when he realized that he was right. Searching the Delta Flyer was a waste of time, and they might as well use their time searching the caves.

"You're right. Let's go." Chakotay brushed Harry's hand off his shoulder before stalking out of the shuttle angrily. They had already wasted precious time coming back to the shuttle in search of what they knew wasn't there.

As Chakotay exited the shuttle, he glanced at the cave. His heart sank. Seven was right there and in desperate need of help, but he couldn't even get to her. The helplessness was the worst part. This should be such an easy problem to fix, but the countless complications made it nearly impossible. Seven's life was on the line for an away mission that they all thought would be a piece of cake. Guilt and anxiety ravaged Chakotay, leaving him feeling torn and increasingly stressed. Suddenly, it dawned on him, they did have something left to give Seven and Tom. He made a beeline for the cave. Confused, Harry trailed after him. They'd looked over the debris from the cave in at least a dozen times, there was no possible way to get to Tom and Seven that way.

"We have something we can give them," Chakotay announced proudly. It had been right in front of them the entire time. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it sooner.

"Commander?" he asked in confusion.

"The sleeping bag," Chakotay pointed out. "It's not much, but at least it's something." At least the sleeping bag could be used to make Seven comfortable. It wouldn't help her current condition, but Chakotay needed to feel that he was doing something to provide for her. Harry knew the First Officer was grasping at straws as they entered the cave. Chakotay snatched up the sleeping bag before storming out of the cave once again. This was a man on a mission.

When Tom returned to camp, Seven appeared to be asleep. On his way back to the camp, he'd stopped for some water. He carefully put down the canteen full of water before pulling off his grey shirt long sleeved shirt. Cool air tickled his arms, but he ignored it and focused on Seven. He dipped part of his shirt in the water and gently dabbed Seven's forehead. She muttered indistinctly and shook her head back and forth. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Chakotay?" she questioned. Tom cracked a small smile.

"I'm flattered but no. Sorry to disappoint you." Mindful of her implant, he continued to press the cool cloth to her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel sufficiently rested," Seven replied as she tried to sit up. The second she did, she instantly regretted it. Pain consumed her, it felt like her head was being crushed in a vice. To make matters worse, the world around her began to spin. "The ground, it is tilting," she observed as she reached out to grab Tom's arm in an attempt to stabilize herself.

"You have vertigo," he observed. "Lay back down. You're not going anywhere." He adjusted the makeshift pillow under her before gently laying Seven back down. The second her head hit the pillow, she felt infinitely better. The pounding in her head subsided to little more than a dull throbbing that she could ignore. The dizziness had stopped as well. She relaxed just a little. There was still the sharp pain in her leg and overall fatigue that she had to deal with, but it wasn't as bad as she previously felt. She would be able to get past all of that as soon as Tom let her get up and start moving.

"We must continue searching for a way out of here. This is an inefficient use of time." Tom noted that her words slurred together. Had the conditions been different, he would have laughed. She sounded drunk. Now wasn't the time for making observations like that.

"And dragging you all over the place in your current state is an inefficient use of what little energy you have left. Chakotay and Harry are just going to have to find us themselves." Tom pulled out his tricorder and scanned Seven. "Your temperature is down three degrees, but you still have a fever. You need to rest, Seven." She felt her eyes getting heavy. She hated this and mentally cursed herself. She had been reckless, and now she was paying the price. Seven continued to mentally berating herself as she drifted off once again.

As field medic, it went against everything Tom knew and believed in to leave Seven, again, while she was in such a delicate condition, but it wasn't like he had a lot of other options. He needed to meet with Harry and Chakotay again. His only consolation was the fact that her fever was down a few degrees. It was the best news he'd heard in ages. With any luck, they'd at least found some minimal medical supplies left behind on the shuttle by whoever broke into it, but he knew that that probably wasn't the case. With one final glance to make sure Seven was alright, Tom left her alone. Hopefully she'd sleep the entire thing and never even know he was gone.

Chakotay waited impatiently at the hole. He paced back and forth nervously for a few minutes before crouching down next to the hole. When he had had enough of that, he returned to pacing. Harry felt equally restless but simply sat next to the hole and drummed his fingers against his knee while he waited. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Chakotay was feeling right now. In all his years on _Voyager_ , he'd never seen the First Officer so stressed out, which was saying a lot because they'd been through countless sticky situations. The personal level of this situation understandably made matters worse. He wished he could think of something to say to him, but no words came to mind. All he could do is sit back and watch helplessly as Chakotay waited impatiently for Tom to return.

"Hey! Anyone up there?" Tom's voice drifted up through the hole, instantly catching both Harry and Chakotay's attention. Chakotay's eyes lit up with excitement. He hoped Tom would have better news than they did. They both crouched down on either side of the hole and gazed down at Tom.

"How's Seven?" Chakotay asked without bothering to waste time with any sort of greeting. There were more important things to discuss.

"Her fever is down approximately three degrees," Tom replied. "She thinks she's well enough to start searching for a way out of here again." Chakotay opened his mouth to protest, but Tom immediately cut him off. "Don't worry, I immediately shut down that idea. We're not going anywhere, Commander."

"Which means we need to come find you," Harry pointed out.

"We're going to start searching immediately," Chakotay said. "We're going to sleep in the caves tonight so we can search more. How much food do you have?"

"Not enough to get us to tomorrow."

"We'll get you food and fuel. We will get you out of there, Tom. We also have a sleeping bag from the camp. It's a bit torn, but it's better than nothing." Despite his attempts at reassuring Tom, Chakotay knew that getting them out of there was only part of the problem. Seven's mobile regenerator was still gone, and they had no idea where to even start looking for it. Their tricorder continued to pick up no signs of life anywhere around here, so whoever took it was either long gone or using highly sophisticated cloaking devices. Either way, they had their work cut out for them.

"Aye, Commander. What do you want me to do?"

"Keep an eye on Seven." Chakotay's implied message was clear: do whatever possible to keep Seven alive. Tom had no idea how he was going to do that, but he would do everything in his power to keep Seven as comfortable as possible until they got out of here.

With the newfound information about Seven's condition, Chakotay moved at double speed as he lead the way back to the caves. The way he held his head high and his eyes darted back and forth across the landscape spoke volumes about his current mindset. He was a man on a mission, and nothing was going to stand in his way. Harry didn't complain or even ask Chakotay to slow down as he stalked across the desert with his long legs. Instead, he quickened his pace to match the First Officer's. Despite his quickened pace, he was still a few feet behind Chakotay, he simply wasn't a match for his long, powerful stride. He didn't bother getting out his tricorder, he trusted Chakotay as he lead the way as he trailed after him.

The wind started to pick up. It was gradual at first, so Harry didn't notice right away. He was more focused on keeping an eye on Chakotay and making sure he kept up with him. As it started to pick up, he realized that it was the onset of a plasma storm. They had to find shelter, but they were still roughly a kilometer and a half from the entrance to the cave.

"Commander," he called over the steadily increasing wind. "It's a plasma storm. We need to head back." Chakotay turned around. He'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts and on getting down to the caves that he didn't even realize what was going on around him. The wind whipped around him as he looked around for shelter. About a hundred meters away, he saw what looked like a hole in the ground hidden by a small cluster of bushes. He couldn't believe they'd never noticed it before. With any luck, it was an entrance to the same series of caves that housed Seven and Tom.

"Over there!" he called over the sound of the wind as he pointed in the direction of the opening. Harry felt skeptical, but it was all they had right now, so he dashed over to the openin.

Chakotay ushered Harry towards the mysterious hole before running after him. The wind was picking up dangerously fast, nearly knocking them over in the process. Upon closer inspection of the hole, they realized that it was a small opening to a cave. It was significantly smaller than the other entrance, causing both men to have to wedge themselves to get through. The entrance immediately gave way to a slope, catching both of them off guard as they scrambled to safety. Both men slid down into the cave and caught their breath. Chakotay couldn't figure out why they hadn't found this opening before. They could have been search the wrong set of caves this entire time without even knowing it. So many hours could have been wasted. For all they knew, this would lead them right to Seven and Tom. Harry immediately pulled out his tricorder.

"Harry, can you tell if this is connected to the other system of caves we've been searching?" Chakotay asked. Harry read the results of his tricorder.

"I don't know, Commander. It has the same geological makeup as the other caves, but it also has the same geological makeup as the cave we've made camp in. It could be the same system of caves, but it could be a completely different set of caves." Chakotay looked around. This area didn't look familiar to him, but, then again, most of the cave looked the same to him. They could have been by here half a dozen times, and he wouldn't have even known.

"Well, we're down here, so we might as well make use of the time and start searching. I have a good feeling about this." Try as he might not to get his hopes up, Chakotay sounded optimistic.

"Aye, Sir." Harry snapped his tricorder shut and returned it to his holster. He hoped Chakotay was right. With any luck, they'd be leading Seven and Tom out of here by the end of the day so they could focus their attention on saving her.

Tom dumped the supplies from Chakotay and Harry on the ground and went to check on Seven. He knelt down next to her and scanned her with his tricorder. Her temperature was up by one degree. So much for her temperature dropping. He picked up his shirt and dipped it in water before gently dabbing her forehead. Moaning, her eyes slowly opened.

"How are you feeling?" Tom asked.

"Sufficiently rested. I want to sit up." Stubborn as always, Seven ignored her discomfort and tried to sit up. Just like before, she was immediately hit with an overwhelming headache and dizziness, but she ignored the sensations. If she had to lay down on the hard ground for any longer she would lose mind. Her hips and back were hurting from laying down in the same position for so long, and the hard rock ground didn't help at all either. It was difficult to decide what hurt more. Although her head hurt more than her back and hips, she still decided to sit up for a little while. With any luck, the headache would soon dissipate as her body adjusted to sitting up again.

"Here, let me help you," Tom insisted as he carefully guided Seven to the side of the cave to prop her up. He looped his arm around her waist and didn't protest when she leaned against him as she slid across the ground awkwardly. Every jostle made her head feel like it was going to split open, instantly making her regret her decision, but she persisted. She'd made it this far, she wasn't going to turn back now. She knew it was going to be just as bad when she had to move back.

As soon as she was against the wall of the cave, Seven closed her eyes and leaned back to regain herself. The cave continued to feel as if it was spinning and rocking back and forth. Groaning, her hand fluttered to her head, brushing against her optical implant in the process. The cold metal sent shivers shooting through her fingertips and down her spine. Tom pressed a piece of fruit into her free hand. The metal encrusted fingers twitched several times before slowly curling around the fruit, but she made no effort to eat it.

"You need to eat," he directed as gently as possible. "You have to keep up your energy. Maybe it'll help with the symptoms."

"I'm not hungry." Her voice was weak and shook with fatigue and fever as she tried to hand back the fruit, but Tom refused to take it. She needed to eat.

"It doesn't matter if you're hungry, you need to eat. It'll help you body fight off your fever." Seven shook her head in protest but instantly regretted it. Her headache had just started to trickle away, but now it was back in full force. She groaned and closed her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"My head, it feels like it's going to explode."

"Do you want to lay back down?"

"No, I would like to remain sitting for a little while longer." Tom took another piece of fruit and carefully peeled it before breaking it into small pieces and handing them to Seven. He hoped that by taking the extra step, Seven might be more inclined to eat. She popped a small piece in her mouth and chewed slowly before swallowing. Doing that felt like an exhausting chore. Even the seemingly mundane tasks of sitting up and eating drained her of energy.

Try as she might, Seven simply couldn't force herself to eat more than one piece of fruit, and even that felt like too much. The fruit sat heavily in her stomach like a pile of rocks. For a moment, it seemed to help, although she felt sick. Her pain temporarily subsided but only just slightly. Everything still hurt, and she was already starting to feel drained of all energy. Her eyes grew heavy, and her head began to loll to one side. The action caused her headache to start up all over again, jolting her awake in the process. She winced.

"You should lay down," Tom pointed out as he scrambled over to her. "You need to conserve your energy." Seven didn't protest. She knew he was right. Rather than crawl back to her original position, she laid down against the wall. Tom figured that that was probably the best idea, it would allow her to sit up later on without having to drag her across the cave. Once she was laying down, he carefully arranged the makeshift pillow under her head and spread the sleeping bag over her. She had no idea where the sleeping bag came from, but she wasn't complaining. She was starting to get cold, and the sleeping bag instantly helped warm her up. She continued to fight to keep her eyes open. "Go to sleep, Seven. Chakotay and Harry are on their way to come get you. Then we'll get you back to _Voyager_ , I promise." His promise fell on deaf ears. She was already asleep again. Sitting up for a few minutes had drained her of all energy.

Harry and Chakotay walked with extreme dedication and purpose through the caves. The limited light made it difficult to see where they were going and if there was anything down here that posed a threat. Chakotay's hand twitched anxiously, ready at any moment to pull out his phaser with seldom more than a moment's notice. Harry kept his ears and eyes open as well, ready to find any trace of Tom or Seven. The only time they stopped was when they marked if they turned right or left so they didn't get lost. Harry didn't bother getting out his tricorder, they were too far underground to pick any life signs down here. They would have to rely on old school search and rescue techniques to find the rest of their away team, just like they had been doing for the past few days.

Chakotay stopped dead in his tracks and tilted his head to one side as he carefully listened. Harry had been so caught up in his thoughts that he ran into the First Officer in the process. He grunted and stumbled backwards before catching his footing at the last moment so he didn't fall.

"Oh, sorry Commander," he muttered as he nervously ran his hand over his face.

"Shh," Chakotay snapped as he held up his hand. Harry immediately clamped his mouth shut and kept his ears open. He had no idea what he was listening for, but based on Chakotay's reaction, it had to be something important. After a few moments, he asked, "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" All Harry heard was their voices, but, then again, his hearing wasn't as keen as Chakotay's

"Footsteps," Chakotay replied. Harry immediately pulled out his tricorder. It was pointless, but it was second nature to him. Just as he predicted, nothing came up on the scans, no signs of life other than their own.

"Scans aren't picking up any life signs," he stated while looking a the results on his device. He knew that that didn't mean anything, most results this far down were inconclusive, especially on this planet where nothing seemed to make sense. When Harry listened closer, he could hear the distant sound of footsteps as well. Chakotay opened his mouth to call out to Seven and Tom but instead decided against it. Instead, he walked as fast as he could in the direction of the footsteps. Harry pulled out his phaser. He had a bad feeling about this.

Chakotay lead Harry in the direction of the footsteps. He was a man on a mission. It was difficult to figure out how far away the footsteps were, they bounced off the walls of the cave faintly, meaning they could be coming from any direction. They weren't keeping track of all the turns they made as they searched for the source of the footsteps.. Harry prayed they didn't get lost. At first, he couldn't hear the footsteps and thought Chakotay was just hearing things. He'd never suggest it, but the thought did cross his mind. Then, he heard it, the distinct sound of footsteps against the ground. It lit a fire inside him that motivated him to pick up his pace to match Chakotay's as he started to feel optimistic. Their heavy footsteps echoed off the walls, giving away their current position, but neither man cared, there were more important things to focus on right now. The other footsteps started to grow fainter. Harry knew it couldn't be Tom or Seven, they wouldn't be running away from them. He glanced over at Chakotay who seemed all the more determined to catch up to whoever was in the caves. A glorious thought crossed both men's minds; it could be whoever stole the supplies from their shuttle, which meant they could get back Seven's mobile regenerator and put at least part of this horrific nightmare behind them.

Practically jogging to keep up with Chakotay, Harry fell into step next to the First Officer. The footsteps were getting closer, they were almost there. They blindly rounded a corner, and both of them ran head on into two solid forms. Grunting, they stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. One of the mysterious forms held up a torch, temporarily blinding both men until their eyes adjusted to the sudden onset of light. Once their eyes adjusted, both were able to see who they had run into, and it wasn't Tom and Seven.

 **Author's Note:** I'll probably be posting the first chapter of my new story later this week. It's called _Adjustment Period_ and is another Chakotay/Seven story, but it has a completely different vibe to it. I hope you like it as much as I do. In the mean time, make sure to leave a review for this one.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

The figures were unlike anyone Chakotay or Harry had ever seen in their entire time in the Delta Quadrant, not that that was out of the ordinary given how large the quadrant was. With the help of the torch one of the aliens held aloft, they were able to get a closer look at the strangers. The aliens had deep red flesh, and a ridge that ran along their noses, bisecting their forehead before disappearing over their hairless heads and along their spines. They looked just as confused as the away team. Their yellow eyes exchanged fleeting glances before fixing their gaze back to Chakotay and Harry, who were still sprawled on the ground trying to figure out what was going on. Chakotay's hand twitched, ready at a moment's notice to reach for the phaser on his hip.

One of the aliens turned to the other and said, "They don't look Kalrussian."

"How would you know what a Kalrussian looks like?" the other snapped.

"I've seen them from a distance, and they don't look anything like this. They must be some of their victims." Chakotay and Harry exchanged quick glances as they tried to figure out what was going on. They had no idea who these beings were or if they were to be trusted.

Chakotay was the first one to regain his composure. He scrambled to his feet and pulled Harry to his feet as well. The entire time, both men kept their eyes firmly locked on the aliens, wary of who they were and what they were doing down here.

"Can you tell us what the hell is going on?" Chakotay snapped. "And why you stole our supplies." He felt that he should have started with the first question, as it was most pressing given Seven's current condition. The aliens exchanged quick glances, silently communicating for a few moments while thinking of what to say.

"My name is Henan, and this is Notaxi," one of the aliens said as he motioned to himself and his partner. "We are Ighanian. We don't have any of your supplies, but we know who does. We were lured here by a distress signal years ago. It's how they get supplies. They destroyed our shuttle, and we've been stuck here ever since." Chakotay didn't know what to believe, but it did sound an awful lot like what had happened to them. Even so, it would be easy for whoever took their supplies to make up such a story.

"How do we know you aren't the ones who lured us here, and now you're trying to trick us?" he demanded.

"Because right now the Kalrussians are using the plasma storm as cover to raid your shuttle for more supplies," Notaxi replied in a surprisingly calm voice. "They only strike during the storms so they don't get caught. Surely you've noticed that by now. Every time there's a plasma storm, more of your supplies go missing."

"There's nothing left to take. Everything is gone," Chakotay snapped in an annoyed voice. He didn't know why these Kalrussians or whoever they were kept going back to the shuttle, there wasn't anything to take; it was like beating a dead horse. "Which is why we need to get to our shuttle. If you're telling the truth, then we need to get back and stop them. They have some supplies one of our crew members desperately needs." He spun around to walk back in the direction that he came. If they were going to get back Seven's mobile regenerator, their best bet was to head back to the shuttle immediately. Henan immediately reached out and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around in the process.

"They'll be long gone by the time you get back there," he stated. "I'm sorry."

"Regardless, we have to try," Harry argued. "We have a crew member in critical condition, and her only hope for survival is to get what they took."

"Lead us to where these Kalruss live," Chakotay directed. If these people really were who they said they were, then they would be able to take them to wherever they lived. "We'll turn the tables and take back what they took from us." Chakotay sounded excited at the notion of finally getting back Seven's mobile regenerator. Henan sighed helplessly.

"We don't know where they live," he admitted. "We've searched all over the place. They come in these large ships, raid whoever comes to help them, and then they leave again. For all we know, they live on the other side of the planet. I'm sorry." Just like that, any hope Chakotay had about getting Seven her mobile regenerator was gone in the blink of an eye. With how poorly this away mission had been going, he should have expected such a setback.

Henan and Notaxi felt for the strangers. They could see the desperation in their eyes and hear it in their voices. While they normally avoided those who the Kalrussians stranded on this planet, this was unavoidable. These strangers had stumbled upon them, and now they felt obligated to help them, especially if one of their own was in critical condition.

"We'll help you," Henan announced. "We have become proficient at surviving here. Where is your injured crewmember?" Notaxi seemed less than pleased with his friend's announcement, but he couldn't exactly say no.

"That's part of the problem," Harry explained. "There was a cave in from a plasma storm a few days again. Two of our crewmembers are trapped in the caves. We've been down here looking for them ever since. We have no idea how to get to them."

"We know where they are from the outside, but no idea how to get to them from down below," Chakotay added. With the newfound information, Henan and Natoxi turned to talk for several moments in low, hushed voices about how to proceed from here. This gave Chakotay and Harry a chance to discuss the situation as well.

"Commander, do you think we can trust them?" Harry questioned quietly. Chakotay sighed. He'd been having the same thought. It was a risk they'd taken countless times during their time traveling across the Delta Quadrant. There had been numerous times when the Captain had put her trust in alien races when Chakotay had his doubts. Thoughts of working with the Borg immediately came to mind. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and Chakotay hadn't trusted Seven at all and now, he was willing to throw all caution to the wind to save her. At the same time, these could be the very people who took their supplies leading them into a trap.

"I don't know," he finally admitted. "But it's the only chance we have at rescuing Seven and Tom. We have to take that risk. Just be ready at a moment's notice in case anything goes wrong."

"Aye, Sir." Harry had a bad feeling about this, but he knew that Chakotay was right. If they had any hope of getting to Tom and Seven, they had to put their trust in these strangers. Of course, everyone they met in the Delta Quadrant was a stranger. After so many years, they were able to figure out who to trust and who not to trust. There were several alarm bells going off in the back of Chakotay's mind, but he also felt that he could trust them. For the time being, they would go with them, but he was ready to change his mind if necessary.

Henan and Notaxi appeared to have come to a final decision as well. Their low murmuring had stopped, and they waited patiently for Harry and Chakotay to finish their conversation as well.

"We'll help you find your friends," Henan announced proudly. Chakotay waited to hear if there were any conditions to their agreement. "Show us where your friends are." Relief washed over him. They didn't have anything to bargain with, so he was glad to hear that. With any luck, he'd at least be by Seven's side by the end of the day.

"How do we get out of here?" Harry asked as he looked around. They'd been running blindly through the caves and had no idea how to get back to the surface.

"Follow us." Henan and Notaxi began to pick up a small collection of bags on the ground. Neither Chakotay nor Harry had noticed the small collection of personal effects until just now. They'd been too caught up in trying to figure out what was going on to really take in their surroundings. Now that they had a chance, they noticed that they had stumbled upon a small camp of sorts. There appeared to be remnants of a campfire amongst the personal items.

Henan and Notaxi each shouldered their bags. Notaxi stamped out the last remnants of the small fire in the pit they'd created while Henan held up the torch so he could see.

"So, where are your friends?" Notaxi asked.

"We only know where they are from the outside," Harry replied. "But we're not entirely sure how to get out of here."

"We know how to get outside," Henan announced. "Follow us." Still feeling wary of their guides, Chakotay unholstered his phaser and held it by his side. His fingers twitched anxiously, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice in case these were the people who raided their shuttle in the first place.

 _The heat was unbearable. Sweat poured down Seven's neck and made it difficult for her to concentrate. It smothered her, nearly suffocating her; environmental controls must be malfunctioning. She looked up at the large screen that stretched in front of her, taking up nearly the entire wall. She did a double take. The stars in front of her were completely unfamiliar to her, causing her heart pounded in her chest anxiously. There had to be some sort of mistake with the sensors, causing them to distort the readings and create nonsensical readings. She knew she didn't know every inch of the Delta Quadrant, but she figured she would recognize at least some aspect of the star chart in front of her, especially since these readings were supposed to be from the stars in the immediate vicinity, but that wasn't the case here. None of the stars or planets in front of her looked the least bit familiar. There had to be some sort of error with the computer. She flitted between consoles nervously in an attempt to figure out what was going on and rectify the situation before the Captain found out and expressed disappointment in her._

 _The door to astrometrics lab slid open and quickly shut again. Seven glanced up for a second but not long enough to see who had joined her. She was more focused on trying to figure out why she didn't recognize any of the stars or planets on her screen and fix the problem quickly and efficiently._

" _Seven." It was Chakotay. For some reason, his presence made her feel more anxious. When it came to him more than anyone else, she wanted to ensure perfection whenever it came to him. "What is going on here?" He sounded agitated. The tone surprised her. He was always so calm and comforting with her, even if she struggled with something._

" _What do you mean?" she asked as she brushed past him to access another console. She still had no idea why the sensors weren't working._

" _I've been asking for the latest report on the next star systems we're going to encounter in our path for the past three days, and I have yet to see them."_

" _I, I'm sorry, Commander, but I'm having a little trouble with the computers." There was a hint of emotion in Seven's voice as she tried to remain calm, but his presence made that difficult. Chakotay started typing on one of the consoles. His expression told her that he wasn't at all convinced._

" _Everything looks functional," he stated bluntly. Unamused, he leaned against one of the consoles and crossed his arms over his chest while glaring angrily at her. His expression caught her off guard as she wiped a line of sweat from her brow. How could he not be sweating? It had to be at least thirty-five degrees in here, yet he looked completely unfazed by the temperature. "You know, when Captain Janeway brought you aboard as her little 'project', I thought it was a terrible idea. I told her that you wouldn't be able to handle it." His words stung. They felt like a knife to her heart. His tone caused her to take a step back. She'd heard him use that short, clipped tone with other crewmen, but it hadn't been directed towards her before. He had always been gentle, tender towards her, especially recently. He always had the utmost patience with her while simultaneously pushing her to be the best and helping her as she continued to discover her human side._

" _I am struggling with making sense of the current star charts," she admitted. Perhaps if she came clean, then he would be able to help her. Chakotay raised his eyebrow._

" _Excuse me?"_

" _I do not recognize the star charts, I have never before seen these systems before, therefore I cannot provide adequate information about them. I apologize, Commander."_

" _Well, maybe we should send you back to the Borg," Chakotay snapped. Seven looked horrified at the very notion. The crew of Voyager had always jumped through hoops to make sure the Collective never got its hands on her again, and now Chakotay was openly suggesting that she should just go back. It was as if he didn't want her here in the first place, as if he didn't care about her._

Seven muttered under her breath and shook her head side to side. Worry lines creased her alabaster skin as sweat beaded across her furrowed brow. Seeing her discomfort, Tom immediately scrambled into action as his medical training set in. He gently dabbed her forehead with the damp sleeve of his shirt. He knew it wouldn't do much to lower her fever, but it would hopefully help her be more comfortable. She hastily pushed away the sleeping bag.

"Too hot," she muttered. "Too hot." He pulled off the sleeping bag and recoiled in a combination of disgust and horror. The sleeping bag was covered in a layer of sweat. He'd been so wrapped up in trying to figure out a plan to get them out of here that hadn't realized she was overheating right in front of him. Up until now, he thought she was resting peacefully. He spread the sleeping bag out on the far side of the cave to dry out before turning his attention back to Seven. He left the sleeve of his shirt draped across her forehead in an attempt to keep her cool and pulled out his tricorder. His scans told him that her temperature was back up to a hundred and four. It was impossible to consistently regulate her temperature; all he could do was keep a close eye on her and monitor her condition to the best of his ability given the fact he had absolutely no medical supplies at hand.

After being in the depths of the caves for a few hours, the sunlight outside was blinding to Harry and Chakotay. They both squinted and looked down as their eyes adjusted to the brightness. Henan and Notaxi seemed completely unbothered by the light and pressed on without a second thought as they entered the stifling heat outside. They walked several meters before turning around. They couldn't continue without Harry and Chakotay, they had no idea where they were going. Once they were able to see properly, Harry and Chakotay joined them outside. They looked around in an attempt to figure out where they were. It took them several moments to gain their composure and take in their surroundings. Chakotay knew exactly where they were; they were approximately five kilometers from their camp.

"This way," he announced as he began to lead the way. Harry fell into step next to him as they walked back towards the camp. Harry glanced over his shoulder to see where they'd come out. He could barely see the opening, it was set down in the ground and concealed by a cluster of rocks and bushes. Once again, it was an incredibly well hidden entrance that they would have never been able to find it on their own.

"Commander," Harry said softly. "Even if we find Tom and Seven, we don't have her mobile regenerator. If the Kalrussians' camp is really as far away as Henan and Notaxi say, then we have no way of getting it." Usually the hopelessly optimistic one, he hated to be the bearer of bad news, but someone had to say what both of them were thinking.

"I know," Chakotay admitted. "I'm hoping that Seven will know how to use something on the shuttle to regenerate." Harry didn't bring up the fact that there's nothing on the shuttle that Seven could use to regenerate, he'd already been over the flyer with a fine tooth comb and had a fairly good understanding of Borg technology. Besides, if Seven's condition was as bad as Tom made it out to be, then she wouldn't be in any condition to help. Harry didn't dare say any of this to Chakotay though, these thoughts were probably the only thing that probably kept him going right now.

The addition of sunlight allowed Chakotay and Harry to get a better look at their guides as they lead them towards their camp. Both aliens wore coarse, homespun clothes that appeared to be made out of the materials they found here on the planet. The free flowing tunics ended a few inches above the ground with sleeves that ended halfway between their elbows and wrists, revealing their deep red arms mottled with dark brown markings dancing across the flesh. Their coloring and eyes gave them a hostile appearance, but their movements were calm and gentle as if to counteract their appearance. Both men hand large bags slung across their backs. Chakotay assumed that those bags held all their possessions, although he couldn't be certain. There was still so much they didn't know about them.

When they arrived back at camp, Chakotay immediately went to the shuttle, not the cave; he needed to see something. The action caught Harry off guard, but he ultimately decided to follow the First Officer with Henan and Notaxi right behind him. He would have thought that Chakotay would have wanted to show Henan and Notaxi the cave so they could start looking for a way to get to Tom and Seven right away. Tricorder in hand, Chakotay entered the shuttle and began to look around. Just like before, the device picked up no signs of the intruders. When he looked around, however, he instantly knew that someone had been there. He ran his hand over the con. Crude scratch marks marred the perimeter of the panel. Closer examination revealed that they were some sort of tool marks. Someone had tried to remove it.

"Harry, I want you to check and see the damage done to all systems," he ordered. "Make sure all the gel packs are still in place. Remove any from the damaged systems but make sure to keep the ones that run the comm system in place. See if there's any way we can reroute power from the gel packs to help Seven." Chakotay knew that the gel packs would be incompatible with Seven's Borg implants, but it was the only shot they had right now.

"Aye, Sir." Harry immediately got to work checking the gel packs. If he was going to get this done in a timely fashion, then he needed to get started right away. The shuttle ran on dozens of gel packs, and it would take a while to check the status on each one before carefully removing each one.

Once Harry started his task, Chakotay lead Henan and Notaxi towards the cave. The Ighanians walked on either side of the First Officer. They'd only seen a glimpse of the shuttle, but it appeared to be relatively in tact, which surprised them. Usually the Kalrussians stripped ships to almost nothing within a few days.

"You're lucky," Notaxi commented in a cheerful voice that made Chakotay want to grind his teeth. Of all the ways he'd describe himself, he definitely wouldn't use the word "lucky". "Your shuttle appears to be in good condition. The Kalrussians have left you with most of it still in tact. Ours was stripped to nothing almost instantly."

"Unfortunately, they took the one thing one of our crew members needs to survive," Chakotay said bitterly. "Which is why we need to find them." Henan shook his head.

"That's not going to happen. We've talked to many stranded aliens over the years, and nobody's even sure where they live." Chakotay looked at him.

"Have you tried to find them?" he inquired.

"Many times," Henan replied "When we first got here, that's all we focused on doing. After about a year, we gave up. We realized that it was impossible, especially without our shuttle. We have no idea where their settlement is, so we don't know where to start looking."

"But they always appear during a plasma storm," Chakotay said.

"Usually, yes." Already, he was starting to think of a way to find these mysterious Kalrussians. All they needed was another plasma storm, which seemed common enough around here. He had a plan.

Harry carefully examined the remaining functioning systems as he carefully removed the gel packs. What he wouldn't give to have B'Elanna here right now. Not only would she be able to find a way to reroute the power from the gel packs to help Seven regenerate, but she would also figure out a way to get the shuttle up and running. Working on the fly with minimal supplies was her area of expertise. Based on what he saw and his understanding of engineering, it simply couldn't be done. He didn't want to be the one to tell Chakotay that though, and Harry wasn't about to give up either. He cared deeply for Seven, and he was determined to find some way to make this work.

Chakotay stood at the mouth of the cave with Henan and Notaxi. They carefully analyzed the cave and the debris from the cave in, nodding and murmuring to each other under their breath as they discussed where this cave lead to. Chakotay silently prayed that they would be able to lead them to the other side of the cave in without a problem. This was their only shot to get to Seven and Tom. These men appeared to have a firm understanding of how to navigate the caves, which meant they were their only hope. Their murmuring didn't bode well in Chakotay's opinion. Finally, Henan and Notaxi turned to face him.

"We know how to get to where your friends around," Henan announced proudly. "But it's not an easy journey; it's no wonder you couldn't find them on your own. We'll need to leave right away if we want to get them today." Chakotay glanced at the shuttle. Harry would have to finish removing the gel packs later, this was far more important, they were finally going to get to Seven and Tom.

Lost in his own thoughts, Harry didn't hear Chakotay calling him right away. He carefully stacked the gel packs in his outer uniform tunic, which served as a makeshift bundle. It was the best he could do given his limited supplies. As he removed the gel packs, he tried to think of some way to use them to regenerate Seven. It was pointless. Without her mobile regenerator, there was nothing he could do, he needed something to harness the power supply from the gel packs.

"Harry!" His head shot up. Unaccustomed to hearing someone shout his name instead of coming up on his comm badge, he listened again to make sure he heard correctly. "Harry!" He wasn't hearing things, Chakotay was calling him. Temporarily abandoning his task, he tripped over his feet and stumbled towards the back of the shuttle. "Henan and Notaxi are going to lead us to Seven and Tom. Let's go." Harry didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed his tunic with the half dozen or so gel packs that he had managed to remove and securely closed the hatch of the system he was working on. He would have to finish this later and hope the Kalrussians didn't come and remove any gel packs on their own.

Tightly clutching his tunic in his hand, Harry jogged over to Chakotay, Notaxi and Henan where they waited halfway between the mouth of the cave and the shuttle. As soon as Notaxi saw Harry's makeshift bundle, he reached into his bag and pulled out a smaller bag. Both bags appeared to be made out of the same material as their clothes.

"Here, use this," he insisted as he handed over the bag.

"Thanks," Harry said with a grateful nod as he took the bag. He knelt down and carefully transferred the gel packs to the bag before pulling on his tunic and swinging the bag over his shoulder.

"Henan and Notaxi said they can lead us to Seven and Tom," Chakotay stated.

"It's a long journey," Henan explained.

"That doesn't bother either of us," Harry assured. "We need to get to the rest of our away team." Henan nodded as if Harry had just answered correctly and passed some sort of test.

"Good, let's get going." There was an undeniable bounce in Chakotay's step as they walked. While they still had no idea how to help Seven regenerate, at least he would be able to see her for himself as assess the severity of the situation.

Tom felt himself getting restless. He paced along the cave in front of the cave-in. He needed to do something, anything, but he knew he couldn't leave Seven. All he could do was wait and hope for the best. He hated not knowing when Chakotay and Harry would show up or even if they would show up. Both men were fiercely loyal and determined, but there were doubts in the back of his mind. For all he knew, they could show up in five minutes or in five days. He looked down at Seven. She appeared to be resting peacefully, at least for right now. He checked her temperature with his tricorder for what felt like the hundredth time. It was the same as before, a hundred and four. He wiped her head with the makeshift washcloth, causing her to mumble and push away his hand in protest.

He could just barely make out her saying, "Too cold." He ignored her protests. Her body temperature was far too high, and he needed to do something to help bring it down, even just a little.

It impressed Chakotay and Harry how easily Henan and Notaxi were able to navigate the underground caves. It only took a few minutes for both men to become turned around and utterly lost. At first, Chakotay tried to keep track of all the twist and turns they took, just in case they needed to get out of here quickly, but it didn't take long for him to lose track. He hoped that this wasn't a trick to get them turned around before stealing what few supplies they had left. Perhaps they should have left the gel packs hidden back at camp, although they could have been stolen by the Kalrussians if Henan and Notaxi were telling the truth. Chakotay knew that there was no way to win in this situation. This was the best shot they had at getting to Seven and Tom. Besides, he felt that he could trust the Ighanians, everything they'd said said had been true so far.

Harry fell into step next to Henan. As he walked, the gel packs rattled faintly against his hip. He tried to walk as gently as possible so as to not damage them, but it was difficult in the rugged underground terrain. If he did, he knew B'Elanna would kill him in the most painful way possible. As much as he didn't want to disappoint the Captain by damaging the gel packs, he knew to fear B'Elanna's temper more. Henan turned left abruptly, catching Harry off guard. He hadn't even seen the opening, even with the help of the torch in Henan's hand.

"You guys seem to know these caves really well," Harry observed.

"We usually live down here," Henan explained. "When we first got here, we lived up on the surface, but the Kalrussians kept raiding our camp. There were a few times that they came without a plasma storm hitting, but those moments are pretty rare."

"That was only once or twice," Notaxi argued. "Hardly worth noting."

"So you've lived here for years, and you have no idea what these Kalrussians look like?" Chakotay asked. He sounded skeptical. He found it hard to believe that they had no idea what these deceitful aliens looked like.

"We've seen them from a distance," Henan explained. "We've talked to other races trapped here who have seen them and tried to confront them, but we've never actually seen them up close. We live down in the caves, the Kalrussians don't come down in the caves. We don't know why, but it gives us a place to live undisturbed."

"If other alien races have been stranded here, where are they?" Harry inquired. Notaxi shrugged.

"Most are eventually rescued, but it sometimes takes a few weeks or even a few months." Chakotay's heart sank. Based on what Tom told them, Seven didn't have a few weeks, she'd be lucky if she had a few days; _Voyager_ would have to get here much faster. "There are a handful like us who have scattered across the desert. We run into them sometimes, but we usually keep to ourselves." Chakotay carefully absorbed the information from Henan and Notaxi. He needed to find the Kalrussians, they were the only ones who could really help Seven. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to go about doing that. These aliens were like ghosts.

Moaning softly, Seven opened her eyes. Her teeth chattered, and her entire body shook violently as she attempted to get warm. Oblivious to the fact that she was awake, Tom paced nervously several meters away. Seven attempted to prop herself on one elbow but regretted it right away. Dizziness immediately washed over her, and, unable to support her weight, her arm gave out from under her, sending her crashing back down to the ground. Pain shot through her arm, and her head made a dull, sickening _thud_ as it came in contact with the ground. A few stray tears sprang up in her eyes as she groaned. The noise caused Tom to spin around.

"Seven," he exclaimed. "What happened?" He scrambled to her side and hovered over her while trying to figure out what had happened.

"I tried to sit up," Seven explained weakly. The fact that her teeth kept chattering made it difficult to understand her. In one fluid movement, Tom pulled out the tricorder and began to scan her. Her temperature was still the same, but her condition hadn't otherwise changed.

"You don't have a concussion," he announced. "But next time you want to sit up, let me help you." Seven nodded meekly. She was unaccustomed to asking for help. When she needed something, she always did it on her own. She shouldn't need to beg for help to do something as simple as sitting up.

"Yes….Lieutenant." Tom knew he was losing her to sleep once again.

"Just Tom," he insisted. "After all these years together, you can just call me Tom."

"Tom…" Seven murmured as she drifted off to sleep once again.

Despite the extreme loneliness that came from Seven sleeping all the time, Tom was grateful that she wasn't awake. He could tell that every time she was awake she was in pain and suffering greatly. At least when she was asleep, she appeared to be at ease or at least more so than when she was awake. Unfortunately, Tom wasn't awarded the same luxury. He needed to stay awake and keep an eye on Seven. It was an exercise in futility though. All he could do was continue to monitor her constantly deteriorating condition and do his best to make her as comfortable as possible while anxiously waiting for Chakotay and Harry to show up. There was nothing worse than sitting around and waiting, unsure if respite would ever come.

Chakotay felt himself getting anxious. He knew they had been walking for hours. They should be at Seven and Tom's camp by now. In the back of his mind, he hoped Henan and Notaxi weren't leading them in circles to disorient them as a part of some sort of nefarious plan.

As if he could read the First Officer's mind, Henan assured, "We're almost there."

"We warned you that it was a long journey," Notaxi added. Chakotay nodded. They had warned them that it would be a long walk to Seven and Tom's camp, but he didn't expect it to be quite this long. "We'll need to join your colleagues at their camp for the night."

"We need to stay close to our shuttle," Chakotay argued. "Our crew will be looking for us near there."

"We'll go back," Notaxi assured. "Tomorrow. It'll be too late today, we'll need to rest." Chakotay didn't argue. Beggars can't be choosers, and at least he would be by Seven's side once again.

Almost in unison, Henan and Notaxi both slowed to a stop. Confused, Harry and Chakotay followed their lead. They looked around. This couldn't be it, there was no sign of Tom or Seven anywhere. Henan carefully analyzed their surroundings. Anxiety began to build up inside of Chakotay as he too looked around, longing to see a flash of Seven's platinum blonde hair or Tom's red uniform, but instead he only saw more of the same caves they'd been stuck in all day. Had this been a wild goose chase the entire time? He looked over at the Ighanians, who were murmuring to each other under their breath. Unsure what was going to happen next, Chakotay's fingers brushed against his phaser, ready at any moment to pull it out and defend himself. He glanced over at Harry, who seemed equally apprehensive.

"You're friends are up to the left," Notaxi finally announced. It was such a simple sentence, yet it made Chakotay's heart soar. Finally, after being apart for five days, the away team was about to be reunited.

 _Tom sat on the floor of his quarters next to Miral, who was stretched out on a blanket. He tickled her pudgy belly playfully. The infant squealed with delight at her father's unwavering attention and kicked her fat legs. Smiling, B'Elanna sat down next to him and handed him a glass of water. He shared her happiness as he looped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, pressing a loving kiss to her temple._

" _We missed you," B'Elanna informed him as she settled against him. Their bodies fit together perfectly, like two pieces to a puzzle._

" _I missed you guys too." Longing for someone to pay attention to her, Miral grabbed a hold of Tom's finger. She was already so strong; she'd be a fighter like his mother. A week away from his family was far too long for him to be away. From now on, he'd ask the Captain for only short away missions if at all possible._

" _Tom?" He hadn't realized that he had spaced out._

" _Huh?" Something didn't seem right. That wasn't B'Elanna's voice. Confusion flashed across his face. It was his wife sitting next to him, but it was Chakotay's voice._

" _Tom, what's wrong?" B'Elanna asked as she reached over to stroke his cheek. Her voice was back to normal, back to the voice he knew and loved more than anything else in the world, but the mishap still left him feeling deeply shaken. He recoiled in horror as he tried to figure out what was going on._

Nearly jumping out of his skin, Tom cried out and jerked awake. Gasping, his head whipped around as he tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. It had all been a dream. He didn't even remember falling asleep; he'd sat down to rest for a few moments, or so he thought. Shaking slightly, Tom got to his feet and went over to check on Seven. His heart continued to pound in his chest as he regained his composure and scanned her with his tricorder. She appeared to be resting as comfortably as possible given her current condition. As he brushed her hair back from her face, he heard the distant voices again.

"Tom? Seven?" His head shot up. Was he still dreaming? This certainly felt real, but, then again, so did his dream just a few moments earlier. No, all of this was real, he could feel Seven's blazing hot flesh under his touch, telling him he was very much awake.

"We're right here!" Tom called as he got to his feet and rushed in the direction of the voices. "Harry! Commander! We're here." Four distant figures began to take shape. A smile spread across Tom's face. It looked like _Voyager_ had come back for them. They would be able to get Seven out of here and back to her alcove, and it would quickly be nothing more than a distant nightmare.

Unable to help himself, Tom broke out into a jog as he rushed to meet his rescuers. When he got closer, he was able to get a better look at them with the help of the torch one of them held. The smile momentarily faded from his face. While it was Chakotay and Harry standing in front of him, they were accompanied by two strange looking aliens. A sobering realization washed over him. While Harry and Chakotay were here, nobody else from _Voyager_ was with them, which meant this ordeal was far from over.

 **Author's Note:** Be sure to leave a review and check out my other fic, _Adjustment Period_ , which is another Chakotay/Seven fic. It's completely different from this one and will be part of a trilogy.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Never before in his life had Tom been so relieved to see Chakotay and Harry. While he knew they weren't out of the woods yet, it was as if a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Now they would be able to work together to save Seven.

"I'm so glad to see you guys," he sighed as he threw his arms around Harry and clapped him on the back. The Ensign returned the affection. Both had smiles on their faces. For a moment, everything was fine, and they weren't stranded on some nearly abandoned planet with Seven severely ill just a few hundred meters away. "Commander," Tom greeted as he nodded towards Chakotay.

"Tom," Chakotay said. "How's Seven?"

"Her fever was down two degrees a few hours ago, but it's back to approximately a hundred and four degrees," Tom explained. "She was awake for a little while, but she's mostly been sleeping." He wished he had better news for Chakotay, but it wasn't like they were in the best situation here.

"Lead the way." Tom didn't need to be told twice. He could see the anxiety in Chakotay's eyes. He'd already suffered enough the past few days, and Tom didn't want to make him suffer any longer.

Chakotay struggled to stay behind Tom as he followed him to the camp. All he wanted to do was run ahead and see Seven with his own eyes to make sure she really was hanging in there. Tom hated that he couldn't give Chakotay any more details about Seven's condition, but he really didn't know how she was doing, his tricorder only gave him the most basic of information. At least now the First Officer was here and could see her with his own eyes, and they could focus on getting out of here. As he lead the way, Tom noticed the strange aliens that accompanied Harry and Chakotay. Since neither man seemed particular bothered by their presence, he figured they must be helping them. He wanted to ask who they were, but he could see from Chakotay's stern expression that now wasn't the time; there were far more important matters to address. The most pressing matter was getting to Seven and getting her out of here as quickly as possible.

When they got to the camp, Seven was still curled up in a fetal position hidden in the shadows. At first, Chakotay didn't see her, and his heart sank as he thought that Tom had gotten lost and taken them to the wrong place. Right as he opened his mouth to ask what was going on, he caught sight of a glimmer of familiar blonde hair in the far corner of the camp and heard a pathetic, weak whimper that signaled her discomfort.

"Seven," he breathed as he rushed to his side. Nobody dared to follow him. They knew he needed some space to ascertain Seven's condition on his own.

Chakotay fell to his knees next to Seven and brushed her hair back from her face. As soon as his fingers brushed against her skin, he could feel that she was burning up. Moaning, she rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. Her eyes had a glazed over appearance and took a few moments to focus on Chakotay as he hovered over her.

"Chakotay?" she whispered hoarsely. Her voice was barely audible. Her arm looped around him, and her hand rested on his back, clutching at his tunic in desperation. Her touch was reassuring to him. At least for right now, she seemed to have a small amount of energy.

"Hey." He kept his voice low and gentle. "I told you we'd find you."

"I didn't doubt your ability."

"Harry's trying to figure out a way to use the gel packs from the shuttle to help you regenerate." Seven scowled and shook her head.

"Tom wasn't supposed to tell you." Chakotay cracked a small smile.

"So it's 'Tom' now?" he teased in an attempt to lighten the serious mood. He thought seeing her with his own eyes would make him feel better, but it only made him feel worse. Now he could see that she really was in poor health; he'd never seen her like this before. She didn't look amused by his attempt. He continued to stroke her cheek affectionately, needing to feel her beneath him. "I'm glad he did. I just wish you had been the one to tell me. I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other."

"Then why didn't you answer my question about the Maquis?" Seven retorted. He sighed. She had a point there. He should have been honest with her, but the question had caught him off guard. Guilty ravaged him. He had inadvertently caused Seven to keep secrets from him without even realizing it.

"When we get back to _Voyager_ , I'll answer any questions you have." He cupped her face in his hand and ran his thumb across her cheek. "No more secrets," he promised. Seven closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Within seconds, her breathing evened out, and she was asleep. Their short conversation seemed to have drained her of all energy.

While Chakotay talked to Seven, Tom turned to Harry and the two strange aliens. He eyed them warily, unsure who they were or what they were doing here. Usually he thought first contact was exciting, something he looked forward to as an opportunity for new adventures. After everything that had happened over the past week or so, however, he wasn't sure who to trust.

"Who are you?" he finally blurted out as he nodded towards the aliens. He figured he might as well just come out with it.

"My name is Notaxi, and this is my friend Henan. We helped your friends find you," one of them explained as he motioned towards himself and his peer.

"They've been stranded here for a few years," Harry added in an attempt to alleviate Tom's apprehensions. "Apparently there's a race of aliens here called the Kalrussians. They lure people here with fake distress calls and then raid their shuttles for supplies when plasma storms hit."

"That sounds like something the Ferengi would do." Harry had been so wrapped up in everything going on that he hadn't made the connection until now. It was exactly like something the Ferengi would do.

"Ferengi?" Henan asked with a confused look on his face. He thought he was familiar with most of the races in this sector, but he'd never heard of the Ferengi before.

"It's an alien race where we're from," Harry explained. "They're con artists and swindlers. They pretend to have disabled starships and attack when you get close. It's a common practice in the Alpha Quadrant." Henan nodded. He had no idea that the Kalrussians' antics were so common among other alien races as well.

Assured that Seven was alright and resting comfortably, Chakotay joined the small circle on the other side of the camp to figure out where to go from here. Harry had hoped that the reunion with Seven would lift his spirits, but he was wrong. The First Officer appeared even more stressed now that he saw the severity of the situation. He clenched his jaw tightly, and the small lines around his eyes that had appeared around his eyes after helping the Captain run the ship for the past seven years became more prominent. It was far worse than he imagined, and he wasn't sure how much longer Seven would be able to hold on like this.

"What's the plan?" Tom asked.

"It's too late to leave for the night," Henan replied, catching the Lieutenant off guard. He'd been looking to Chakotay for answers, although he didn't look like he was in any shape to be making decisions right now. "We'll camp here for the night and move your friend in the morning."

"Fine, let's make camp for the night," Chakotay relented before returning to Seven's side. Now that he was with her and saw her current condition, he couldn't bring himself to leave her side. He needed to make sure he was there in case she woke up again.

As Notaxi helped Harry and Tom set up camp, Henan crouched down next to Chakotay to see how Seven was fairing. He pressed the back of his hand against her cheek and recoiled in horror as his knuckles brushed up against the starburst implant next to her ear. He turned her head, and her optical implant caught the light. Seven's eyes momentarily cracked open and settled on Notaxi.

"You're Ighanian," she observed bluntly in a weak voice. "Species 9937. The Borg have assimilated you. You're known for being..." Her voice trailed off as her fever consumed her once again. As accustomed as he was to Seven's personality quirks, it still unsettled Chakotay slightly to hear her state a species' designation out of the blue. Henan's gaze hardened when he realized what was going on here.

"What's going on here?" he demanded. "Is this a Borg?" Henan's agitated voice caught the attention of everyone else. Notaxi appeared out of nowhere, towering over them. Henan got to his feet. "That's a Borg. They're trying to save a Borg!" The more he spoke, the more upset he sounded. Chakotay stood up as well, his six foot frame towering over the two smaller aliens with ease.

"She's been severed from the Collective for over four years." His booming voice bounced off the walls of the cave, making him sound far more powerful than he really was. "She's a member of our crew, and she needs our help. You agreed to help us-"

"That was before we knew she was a drone," Notaxi pointed out. "Do you know what the Borg have done? She just blurted out that we're species 9937 like it's no big deal. We're nobody to her, she doesn't care about us."

"We know what the Borg are capable of doing," Tom interjected. "And Seven has helped us fight against them many times. Without her, our crew would have been assimilated years ago. She's no longer Borg, she's human like us, and she's dying." As soon as the word left Tom's mouth, he instantly regretted it. He saw Chakotay openly flinch. He should have chosen his words more carefully. Everyone here knew Seven's condition was incredibly dangerous, but nobody was here was ready to admit it to each other. Tom had no way of knowing that Harry had used similar words in his distress call to _Voyager_ , but Chakotay had been so caught up in searching the shuttle that he thankfully hadn't heard him. This was like a slap in the face to him and the rest of the away team though. "You said you'd help us-"

"But that was before we knew you were harboring a Borg," Henan spluttered. "This changes everything." He grabbed Notaxi by the arm and lead him off to the side so they could talk in private. Now that they knew the truth about this so called victim of the Kalrussians, they needed to decide for themselves if she was worth saving. The Borg were dangerous and should be left alone at all costs, even a former Borg.

Harry sidled up to Chakotay. None of them knew what to think about this. They hadn't thought of mentioning that Seven used to be a Borg because none of them thought of her as a drone anymore. To everyone on _Voyager_ , Seven was simply another member of the crew.

"Commander, if they don't help us get out of here, we'll be stuck. Neither of us know the way out of here, even when _Voyager_ comes back, we'll still be stuck down here," Harry pointed out. They'd both assumed that Henan and Notaxi would help them get back out of the caves, so they didn't pay attention to where they were going, thus leaving them at the mercy of their new companions. Harry hated to be the one to bring this up, but someone had to say what the rest of them were thinking.

"I know," Chakotay admitted tersely. "Which is why we have to convince them to help us, regardless of who Seven used to be." He had no idea how to do that. Henan and Notaxi were understandably anxious about helping a Borg, no matter what they said to convince them otherwise. Chakotay knew that he would have acted the same way a few years ago if he had been in their shoes. He would have to convince them that Seven was harmless, if only he knew how.

The murmuring from Notaxi and Henan stopped as they came to an agreement. Notaxi glowered angrily at his comrade as they rejoined Chakotay, Tom and Harry. Already, Chakotay was creating a myriad of arguments to convince the Ighanians to help them, starting with the fact that Seven hated the Borg more than anyone else that he'd ever met for what they did to her.

"We've decided to keep helping you," Henan stated. Notaxi snorted and rolled his eyes with frustration. Clearly this was Henan's decision, and Notaxi had his doubts. Relief rolled over all three crewmen. Chakotay let out a breath of relief he hadn't even been realizing he'd been holding in and slumped his shoulders. "Clearly you care about this drone, and she's in no condition to do any damage to us anyway. Just be warned, we will take matters into our own hands if we feel something is going to go wrong."

"Fine," Chakotay agreed. It was an ominous threat, but he wasn't worried. Seven was completely harmless when she was perfectly healthy. Right now, however, she could barely keep her eyes open for more than a few minutes. She wasn't a threat to anyone right now.

With the problem concerning Seven's past resolved, Harry, Tom and Notaxi went back to setting up camp for the night while Henan returned to Seven's side. After the incident they just had, Chakotay hovered over him, wary that he would try to do something to harm Seven. If she were healthy, she would reprimand him for being too overprotective.

"What's wrong with her?" Henan asked as he looked her over. Despite Chakotay's assurances, he was still apprehensive; he'd never been this close to a Borg before. He didn't know how Chakotay could be so calm around someone who used to be so dangerous.

"She needs to regenerate," Chakotay replied. "Which is why we need to find the Kalrussians. They took her mobile regenerator. Without it, her body will continue to shut down."

"How long will that take?" Chakotay shrugged.

"We don't know." Avoiding her optical implant like the plague, Henan brushed his hand over Seven's forehead. She was burning up. "We're trying to figure out if we can reroute the power from our shuttle to help her regenerate, even just a little bit, but we don't think it'll work." Henan's heart went out to him. It was obvious that this man cared deeply for the Borg, he could see it in his eyes and the way he hovered over her, ready to leap into action at any moment. There had to be something he could do to help.

"There's a root that grows on the surface. It helps bring down fevers."

"This isn't a normal fever."

"I know, but it's the only thing we've got. It may help lower her fever a little bit." Chakotay ran his knuckle across Seven's damp cheek. A fine layer of sweat covered her entire body. He knew Henan was right. The mysterious root couldn't possibly make matters any worse. They had nothing to lose but everything to gain. When they got back to the surface tomorrow, they would immediately find this root and hope it helped.

Later that evening, Tom brought Chakotay a crudely fashioned bowl where he sat vigil next to Seven's sleeping form and sat down across from him. Chakotay looked up for a second before turning his attention back to Seven. His expression caught Tom off guard. Never before had he seen him look so lost and confused. For a split second, he thought he saw a tear or two in the First Officer's eyes but he couldn't be certain. There had to be something they could do.

"Well, the good news is this isn't leola root, but the bad news is that it tastes almost just as bad," he announced in an attempt to lift the First Officer's mood as he handed over the bowl.

"I'm not hungry," Chakotay stated as he looked at the concoction prepared by Henan and Notaxi. The thought of eating food made him feel sick to his stomach as stress continued to consume him. He thought that being reunited with Seven would help him calm down, but it only made matters worse. Now that he saw the severity of his condition, a whole new set of worries and anxieties plagued him.

"Chakotay, you need to eat," Tom insisted.

"You can't give me orders, I out rank you."

"I'm not giving you orders, I'm looking out for a friend. At least pretend to eat. Harry and I can't look after both of you, you need to keep up your strength." Chakotay knew he was right. He took a small sip of the mirky liquid and instantly regretted it. Tom was right, it was almost as bad as leola root. He resisted the temptation to spit the food out and instead forced himself to take a larger sip.

"What is it?" he gasped.

"I've stopped asking that about food in the Delta Quadrant years ago." He had an excellent point there. Chakotay held his breath and quickly downed the thick liquid. As he got closer to the bottom, he discovered mysterious chunks that lingered in the bowl. He didn't bother trying to scoop them out and instead put the bowl to the side. Despite the fact that he'd barely eaten anything all day, he felt full.

While Chakotay ate, Tom pulled out his tricorder and scanned Seven. The good news was that her condition wasn't any worse. Unfortunately, it wasn't any better either. Right now, she was as stable as could be given her current situation. Tom closed the tricorder and returned it to its holster on his hip.

"Tom." He looked up at Chakotay. "Thank you for looking after Seven." Tom waved off the comment dismissively.

"You would have done the same for B'Elanna." It was true. B'Elanna was like a sister to Chakotay. He told her everything, and she did the same. He would watch her like a hawk if she was in Seven's current condition. "I'm just sorry that I couldn't do more."

"You've done everything you could do, and I couldn't ask for anything more. Tomorrow we'll get out of these caves and start looking for the Kalrussians." Tom felt confused. Based on what Henan and Notaxi told him, it was impossible to hunt down the Kalrussians, at least without their shuttle, which was permanently out of commission until they got back to _Voyager_. If anyone had a plan, however, he knew it would be Chakotay.

It was hardly a restful night for Chakotay as he curled up next to Seven. Every time she moved or twitched, he jolted awake and checked on her, meaning he only slept for about half an hour at a time. Her fever was still dangerously high and showed no sign of breaking. He hoped that whatever Henan had would help bring her fever down, at least a little bit. Unable to resist, Chakotay brushed his fingers through Seven's hair, gently pushing it back from her flushed face in the process.

"Chakotay?" she whispered hoarsely. He smiled slightly.

"How are you feeling?" She looked confused. "What's wrong?"

"When did you get here?" Chakotay felt his anxiety level rise. That wasn't a good sign.

"This afternoon," he replied. "Don't you remember? I told you that Harry's trying to find a way to use the gel packs to help you regenerate, and I teased you for calling Tom by his first name." Seven furrowed her brow as she tried to remember. She had absolutely no recollection of that conversation.

"I don't remember," she admitted weakly.

"That's okay," he assured. "You're tired, you need to rest. Do you need anything? You need to eat." Chakotay realized that he sounded exactly like Tom had earlier, hovering over Seven to take care of her.

"Water." That was all he needed to leap into action. He grabbed one of the bowls from Henan and Notaxi that they had eaten out of and filled it with water from one of the canteens before returning to Seven's side. Seven attempted to prop herself up on one elbow, but her arm gave out from under her once again. Chakotay braced her upper body against his torso. As soon as she started moving, she instantly regretted it. The pain in her head that had subsided to a dull throbbing was back with a vengeance. She did her best to hide her pain while Chakotay pressed the bowl to her lips. "I can do it," she insisted. The bowl shook violently in her hands. More water ended up being spilled across her lap than ended up in her mouth. Chakotay's hand hovered over hers, ready to take control at a moment's notice. The few sips of water settled heavily in Seven's stomach. Chakotay took the bowl and put it to the side.

"Do you need anything else?" She shook her head and instantly regretted it. The pain in her head was nearly unbearable. She winced.

"I need to lay back down," she insisted. "My head feels like it's going to explode." That was all Chakotay needed to hear to help Seven lay back down. He adjusted the makeshift pillow under her head.

"I'll be right here if you need anything," he informed her. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Just the simple action of sitting up for a few minutes was enough to make her want to sleep for hours. Her eyes slowly closed as her fever consumed her once again.

The following morning, the four men broke down camp. In a way, Tom was almost sad to leave camp. This had been his impromptu home for the past few days. Logically, he knew it was little more than a cave, but he was starting to get comfortable here, to fall into a routine of sorts. On the other hand, being stuck in here was like hell. He couldn't wait to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, no matter how hot it may be outside, it was far better than being stuck down here in this awful cave. With any luck, _Voyager_ would be here in a day or two, and they could put all of this behind them.

Chakotay stood over Seven and tried to think of a way to get her out of this cave. She couldn't walk, that was made abundantly clear after sitting up for a few minutes wiped her of all energy. She wouldn't be able to walk more than a few steps. She was too heavy for one person to carry out of here either, not for the distance they had to walk. Harry materialized at Chakotay's side.

Sensing something was wrong, he asked, "Are you alright?" Chakotay's head shot up in surprise. He hadn't even heard Harry join him.

"I'm trying to figure out how to get Seven out of here. She's too weak to walk." Harry's mind whirled as he tried to think of a solution to the problem. They'd come too far to just give up now. Suddenly, an idea struck.

"We could use the sleeping bag as a sling," he suggested. "Four of us could each carry a corner. It won't exactly be the smoothest journey, but it's the only option we've got right now." Chakotay carefully thought about it. It seemed like a good enough idea. With any luck, Seven would sleep through most of the trip and wouldn't have to experience any discomfort.

"Okay, let's do it." They went over to Tom, Henan and Notaxi and informed them of the plan. It was agreed upon that they would rotate out carrying Seven. Whoever wasn't carrying her would carry the bag with the gel packs. With camp broken down, the only task left was getting Seven onto the sleeping bag.

Chakotay gently shook Seven's shoulder. He doubted it would wake her, but he wanted her awake to hear the plan before moving her onto the sleeping bag. Tom carefully spread out the sleeping bag alongside her limp form so they wouldn't have to move her very far.

"Seven," he whispered urgently. "Seven." Her eyes opened slightly. "We're going to move you onto the sleeping bag and carry you out of here. Okay?"

"Okay," she mumbled.

"Can you move?"

"I am undamaged," she insisted as she tried to push herself upright. Her arm shook violently under the sudden addition of weight.

"This is a bad idea," Tom interjected. "You need to save your energy. We'll move you." He locked eyes with Chakotay as he took a hold of Seven's legs while he hooked his arms under her arms. They lifted her in perfect unison and shuffled a few steps until she was lying in the middle of the sleeping bag. Seven moaned loudly in protest. The noise was like a knife to Chakotay's heart. He should have let her sleep, at least then she wouldn't have to suffer through this discomfort. He knelt down next to her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "We're going to try to do this as painlessly as possible, but we need to get out out of here. _Voyager_ won't be able to find us down here."

"I am undamaged," Seven insisted weakly as she squeezed his hand affectionately. He forced himself to give her a small, reassuring smile. He knew she was far from undamaged. He could see the pain written across her face. Try as she might to hide it, it was clear as day to him.

Harry, Tom, Chakotay and Notaxi each took one corner of the sleeping bag and carefully hoisted Seven up in the air. Her body swung back and forth, but she didn't make any noise. Chakotay prayed that she was asleep and would remain sleeping for as long as possible. Henan held a torch in the air, leading the way of the motley procession. From where he walked by her feet, Chakotay could keep a careful eye on Seven in case anything went wrong. Between her unnervingly pale skin and her arms folded over her chest, she looked dead. The realization made it feel like the ground had fallen out from under him. He quickly regained his balance and continued walking. She wasn't dead, the faint rise and fall of her chest told him that much. Given her current situation, however, he had no idea how much longer she could hold on. They were running out of time.

Tom felt like his arm was on fire. At first, carrying Seven wasn't a big deal, but after walking for nearly half an hour, his arm hurt worse than anything he'd ever experienced before, and he couldn't feel his fingers anymore. He wanted to flex his arm to see if that would help the pain, but he didn't want to jostle Seven. He knew her pain was far worse, and when he finally got a break, she would continue to suffer. She'd walked all over these caves while in pain and didn't say a word for several days. The least he could do was help carry her for a few hours.

 _The shrill alarm of a Red Alert made it nearly impossible for Seven to hear her own thoughts. She darted down the corridors of_ _Voyager_ _in the dim red light, carefully dodging people as she went. The ship rocked back and forth violently as it was hit. She prayed their shields would be able to withstand whoever was attacking them. She burst through the doors of astrometrics, tripping over her own feet in the process as_ _Voyager_ _was blasted once again. She stumbled to the nearest console as she held on for dear life and carefully analyzed the star charts and maps in front of her. Anxiety built up inside of her as she realized where they were. They were right in the middle of Borg territory. How had they gotten here? Kes had flung them well past Borg territory years ago, which meant they had wasted years doubling back for some unknown reason. It didn't make sense and went against everything the Captain believed in in her attempts to get her crew home safely. Yet, here they were. There had to be some way to get out of here. Her eyes flitted over the screen as she tried to find the quickest way out of here that would get them out of Borg territory. Even at high warp, it would take them a minimum of three days. What Seven couldn't figure out was why the Captain had allowed them to get so far into Borg territory in the first place._

 _The ship shuddered as it came under fire again. It felt far more powerful than any firepower the Borg usually had. Seven lost her balance and fell to the ground, slamming her head against the hard floor in the process. She groaned but quickly scrambled to her feet. Her head throbbed in protest as she went back to work. Clutching the control panel tightly, she pulled herself to her feet and immediately went back to work. If they were going to get out of here, she needed to find the quickest and most efficient path and fast._

The foursome carefully lowered Seven to the ground to switch places while Harry watched on. His break was over. He removed the bag holding the gel packs and handed it over to Chakotay, who shook him off.

"Commander, you need to rest," he pointed out.

"I'm fine," Chakotay insisted. His face was firm with determination as he flexed his arm and wiggled his fingers to get the blood flowing again. Harry sighed. He, Henan, Notaxi and Tom had all been rotating out, taking turns carrying Seven for the past few hours. Harry knew they were in the home stretch now, but that didn't change the fact that Chakotay needed to rest. He was going to wear himself out, and they didn't have enough of anything to take care of two injured crewmen.

"Nobody is going to think less of you if you take a break," Henan argued. "We can see that you care for your mate, but let us take care of her too." Chakotay's eyes shot up in surprise when he heard Henan's word choice. Tom, who had been taking a drink of water, started to cough and sputtered water down the front of his shirt. Chakotay brushed past Henan stiffly so he could check on Seven's condition. Henan looked confused. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked Harry.

"Nobody's supposed to know they're together," Harry replied. "It's a big secret." This only confused Henan even more. Why would they keep something like this a secret? Clearly this was a culture that was even more different than his own than he originally realized.

Seven was still unconscious. Chakotay didn't dare wake her, he didn't want to make her suffer any more than she had to, and she appeared to be at peace like this. He ran his thumb over her cheek lightly before standing up.

"We should keep moving," he announced. He turned to Notaxi. "How much further do we have?" Notaxi stopped to think.

"About another hour," he replied. Due to the fact that they were carrying Seven and the constant need for breaks to rotate positions, it was taking much longer than usual to travel out of the caves. Nobody dared complain though. This was the only way to get her out of the caves and to safety.

"Okay, let's go." While he refused to take a break, Chakotay did switch sides so he was using his other arm to carry Seven. Nobody bothered to argue with him. This was the closest they were going to get to getting him to take a break. Harry handed the bag of gel packs over to Henan, who swung them over his shoulder along with the bag that held his personal items. The second he picked up the corner of the sleeping bag, Harry's arm screamed in protest. Clearly his break hadn't been long enough. He ignored it. He had been meaning to work out more, and now was as good a time as any.

At first Tom thought it was his eyes playing tricks on him: a small pinprick of light appeared several hundred yards ahead. As he got closer, however, he realized that it was sunlight. It was gradual at first, slightly more light than they had just a few yards back. Then, it hit him like a bag of bricks. After a week underground, the light was blinding; he nearly dropped the corner of the sleeping bag clutched in his hand. He caught himself at the last minute and turned his head away. His head was already killing him as he adjusted to the light. Everyone else continued walking, forcing him to do so as well. He ignored the discomfort and pressed forward. He'd been looking forward to getting out of this cave for days now, and he wasn't going to let a little bit of light and a headache get in his way.

They slowed to a stop at the mouth of the cave. They had barely been outside for a few minutes, and the heat was already smothering. They carefully lowered Seven to the ground. She muttered and shook her head back and forth in protest. As soon as Harry got his bearings, he realized that they had come out of different cave than the one they had entered. He could see the shuttle in the distance, it was about a kilometer and a half away.

"We should make camp here," Notaxi announced. "It would be unwise to move your friend any more than necessary." As much as Chakotay wanted to be closer to the shuttle, he knew that stay here was the best bet for Seven. Everyone seemed to turn to him and wait to see what he had to say about it. Tom and Harry did it out of default, they were used to following the chain of command. By now, Henan and Notaxi had picked up that Chakotay was the one calling the shots around here, at least when it came to their new friends.

"Okay, let's make camp then," he agreed. That was all the prompting everyone needed to leap into action. With Seven carefully stowed away in the shade and protection of the cave, they started gathering wood and supplies to settle down. Now that they had gotten Seven out of the caves, all they could do was wait.

With the help of the sunlight, Chakotay could see the extent of Seven's condition. Horror flashed across his face as he knelt down next to her. All color was gone from her face. Angry black lines zigzagged out from her implants on her face, making her look like some sort of strange, humanoid alien, and a fine layer of sweat covered her exposed flesh. Tom knelt down across from Chakotay and scanned her with his tricorder.

"Her fever is still at a hundred and four." The First Officer barely blinked to acknowledge Tom's presence. "Commander." Chakotay's head shot up in surprise. "We're going to get her out of here. When we don't show up to the rendezvous point, the Captain will realize we're not there and come rushing back. We only have to hold out a few more days." Chakotay shook his head.

"We can hold out, but that's not my concern." He looked down at Seven. Her lips twitched as she silently mouthed something neither Chakotay nor Tom could figure out. Tom gave her hand a gently squeeze. He knew she probably couldn't feel the tender action, but it was meant to comfort him more than her. He was starting to feel just as anxious as Chakotay.

With the help of everyone working together, camp was set up within an hour. Chakotay built a small fire pit. While it was too hot to start a fire, he needed to keep busy to distract himself. As he worked, he looked over at Seven. At first blush, she appeared to be sleeping peacefully, but he knew otherwise. He could see her hand twitch, and every once in awhile, she muttered and shook her head back and forth. Never before had her in such a vulnerable condition. She was always so confident in her behavior and actions. Seeing her like this unnerved him. He felt that he should be able to take care of her. What kind of First Officer was he if he couldn't get his entire away team back to _Voyager_ in one piece, especially on such a simple away mission? If Chakotay were Captain, it would be a long time before he let him lead an away mission again.

"Commander." Harry's voice caused Chakotay's head to shoot up. He hadn't realized he had been spacing out and staring at the empty firepit. He turned in the direction of Harry's voice. The Ensign knelt down next to Seven with a concerned look on his face. "You better get over here." That was all Chakotay needed to hear to scramble to his feet and rush to Seven's side. Seven's eyes were wide open, and she looked terrified. Tears spilled freely down her hollow cheeks as she clawed desperately at Harry's arm.

"Stop, please stop," she pleaded through her tears. Her eyes locked on Chakotay. For one brief, lucid moment, she recognized him. "Chakotay," she breathed. He cupped her face in his hand.

"I'm right here," he assured. "What's wrong? Talk to me."

"The voices," Seven sobbed. "So many voices." Chakotay glanced at Harry. Both of them looked utterly confused and horrified.

"Seven, there aren't any voices," Harry assured. She continued to shake her head and grab at Chakotay's arm. Despite the thick fabric of his uniform, her fingernails dug into his skin. The pain barely fazed him. Instead, he focused entirely on Seven.

"Is it the Collective?" he asked. "Do you hear the Collective?" She shook her head.

"No." Sobs wracked her fragile frame in her feverish state. "Please make them stop." Each desperate plea was like a knife to Chakotay's heart. She'd already suffered so much, and now things were getting worse. He wanted nothing more than to take away all her pain. He'd willingly endure all her suffering himself. He'd suffer through all of it a hundred times over if it meant that she didn't have to go through it herself.

"What voices?" Chakotay pressed.

"So many assimilated voices. They're there. So many voices, so many languages, so many species. I can't do it. Make it stop." The pieces slowly fell into place for Chakotay. It had been years since this had been a problem, which is why it took him so long to realize what was going on. He looked up at Harry, who still looked utterly confused.

"Seven, your cortical implant is malfunctioning. You're hearing the voices of the people you assimilated. It's all in your head, just like before. Just rest." He stroked her hair affectionately. "I'll be right here with you."

"But the voices…" Seven argued.

"They're not real," Chakotay assured. "Just focus on my voice, my voice is real, and I'm right here to help you. _Voyager_ will be back any day now, and you'll regenerate, and this will all be behind us." He kept his voice low and as soothing as possible. "Just focus on my voice _muñeca_. My voice is real, and I'm not going to leave your side. I promise." He cupped her face in his hand. Her eyes closed as she leaned into his touch. "Listen to my voice, Seven, and relax. Don't listen to those voices. They can't harm you."

"So many voices," she gasped.

"I know. Do your best to ignore them and listen to me instead. The Captain and _Voyager_ are on their way. They'll be here before you know it." It was a blatant lie, there was no way Kathryn could know they were in need of help yet, but he hoped it would help her to feel better.

" _Voyager_ …" Seven's voice grew weaker. Her outburst had drained her of all energy. Her arm went limp and fell to the ground, releasing Chakotay from her powerful grip. Once she was asleep, Chakotay could relax, even just a little.

"Commander, do you think this is a sign the Borg is nearby?" Harry asked. He stopped to think. The last time this had happened, it had been caused by an errant vinculum, but that had been hundreds of lightyears away.

"No," he finally replied. "It's her fever." He grabbed the tricorder and scanned Seven. "It's up to a hundred and five." He snapped the device closed angrily. "If it keeps rising, she won't make it until her body runs out of energy." It was a sobering realization for both men. They knew they were on borrowed time, but they hadn't realized just how limited their timetable was until just now.

Fearful of her condition worsening, Chakotay refused to leave Seven's side. Part of him felt guilty for not helping set up camp, but he knew he would feel worse if Seven's condition were to worsen, and he wasn't by her side. He put a reassuring hand on her arm, but she didn't move or respond. As he gazed over at her, he noticed that it was getting progressively darker around them. He immediately got to his feet. There was still a few hours before nightfall, it shouldn't be getting dark, especially this quickly. The wind was picking up as well.

"Commander," Tom said over the noise of the wind. "There's a plasma storm coming. We need to get to safety." Chakotay glanced back at Seven, who was completely oblivious to the chaos around her. Harry and Henan were already picking her up and carrying her to the safety of the cave. There was a pang in Chakotay's heart as he realized that he should be the one taking care of her, but he had far more important matters to attend to.

"Get her inside the cave," he ordered forcefully as he rushed past Tom. Tom's hand immediately shot out and grabbed the First Officer's arm.

"Where the hell are you going?" he demanded.

"The Kalrussians only appear during plasma storms," Chakotay explained. "So I'm going to be waiting for them." His hand flew to his phaser to make sure he was adequately armed. Tom's gazed hardened.

"I'm coming with you," he announced. Chakotay opened his mouth to protest. "You can't do this alone." Harry stumbled over to the pair.

"We need to get inside," he stated over the noise of the wind. Lightning sliced through the sky, temporarily blinding all three men. It was followed a few moments later by a deafening roar of thunder that shook the ground beneath them.

"Watch Seven," Chakotay ordered. "Tom and I are going to the shuttle to wait for the Kalrussians. It's our only shot at getting back the mobile regenerator."

"Be careful," Harry told both men.

"We will." Tom patted his best friend on the shoulder before darting off across the desert with Chakotay. Harry watched them for as long as possible as they set out in an act of desperation, but the severity of the storm eventually forced him to the safety of the cave where Henan and Notaxi anxiously waited for him to join them. The storm raged on, eventually consuming Chakotay and Tom as they fought against the elements to get to the shuttle.

The powerful winds nearly knocked Chakotay and Tom over as they ran towards the shuttle. The bright lightning disoriented them every time it sliced through the sky. They blindly stumbled over the rocks and bushes, pushing on despite the difficulties surrounding them. The wind started kicking up sand, causing both men to cough. It stung their eyes and made it even more difficult to see where they were going. For all they knew, they were running away from the shuttle. The sand and wind stung both their eyes, making it even more difficult to navigate. Tom pulled his shirt over his mouth and nose in the hopes it would filter out some of the sand; it helped, but only a little.

"I can see the shuttle," Chakotay screamed over the wailing winds. The First Office could just barely make out the silhouette of the shuttle a few hundred yards away. "Let's go." He turned back to Tom to make sure he was following close behind. Using one last burst of energy, both men bolted for the shuttle and stumbled through the open hatch of the shuttle.

The shuttle hardly provided any protection from the raging storm outside. The flyer rocked back and forth unsteadily as it braced against the wind. Chakotay ushered Tom towards the front of the shuttle. It offered them little protection from the storm, but it was better than waiting right at the rear where they risked being hit by flying debris.

"Now what?" Tom asked. Chakotay unholstered his phaser and handed it to Tom as he hunkered down. With any luck, the Kalrussians wouldn't see him when they stormed the shuttle. Tom took the phaser and mimicked his stance.

"Now we wait," Chakotay replied with fire in his eyes.

 **Author's Note:** There you go, chapter 13. Make sure to leave a review and check out my other fic: Adjustment Period. Thanks!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

The more Harry watched the plasma storm rage outside, the more he regretted letting Tom and Chakotay go out into it, not that he could necessarily stop them. He knew it was their only chance to find the Kalrussians, but it was probably one of the most reckless things either man had ever done, which was saying a lot given Tom's penchant for recklessness. Harry paced nervously along the wall of the cave they'd taken refuge in while he waited for the storm to subside so he could go help them.

"How could you let your friends go out into the storm like this?" Henan demanded over the noise of the storm outside as he stood in front of Harry, putting an end to his pacing. He sounded just as annoyed as Harry felt.

"I couldn't stop them," Harry replied. "Both of them are my superiors, I can't exactly give them orders."

"But you still could have talked them out of it," Notaxi pointed out as he joined in the conversation. "I don't know where you guys are from, but around here, we don't run into plasma storms."

"Well I guess that's the difference between us and you. Where we come from, we'll do anything to help other members of our crew, even if it puts our lives in danger." Harry couldn't even begin to count the number of times either someone had put his or her life on the line for him or vice versa. In fact, almost every member of _Voyager_ had done it at least once during the course of this journey home; it was second nature given their situation without Federation support. Movement on the ground caught Harry's attention and immediately cutting off further conversation. He brushed past Henan and Notaxi stiffly to see what Seven wanted.

Seven rolled onto her side and attempted to push herself to a seated position. Her arm shook under the sudden addition of weight, almost immediately giving out from under her. Her head pounded, and her arm screamed in protest.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Harry asked as gently as possible as he knelt down and tried to help her lay down to conserve her depleting energy.

"What's going on?" she inquired. Her voice was soft, making it difficult for him to understand her over the noise outside. In an attempt to hear her better, he tilted his head down closer to her barely moving lips.

"There's a plasma storm so we're back in the caves for a little while. Don't worry, it's just temporary." He paused. "Do you need some water?" She nodded but instantly regretted it. Her hand flew to her head, brushing along her optical implant. The metal burned her skin, and she recoiled her hand. Harry left her side just long enough to get her a small bowl of water. "Here, let me help you sit up." As gently as possible, he maneuvered Seven into a sitting position with his arm locked firmly around her slender waist to support her. There would have been a time where he would have killed to be this close to Seven, but that felt like a lifetime ago. Now, he looked at Seven as a close friend who he was determined to look after until Chakotay returned, hopefully with her mobile regenerator. With one arm locked around Seven's waist and her body braced against his for support, Harry brought the bowl to her lips. She instinctively held on to the bowl as well, although she could barely keep it still. She took several small sips before pushing the bowl away.

"No more," she muttered. Rather than press the issue, Harry put down the bowl. It barely looked like she drank any. Her eyes flitted around the temporary camp. A sudden realization washed over her. "Where's Chakotay?"

"Chakotay? Uhh...he and Tom went deeper in the cave to explore a little bit." The lie came easily to Harry, a little too easily in fact, which unsettled him. He felt bad for lying to her, but if she knew what was really going on, it would cause her to get more stressed and upset, and that could cause her to get even sicker. Seven nodded slightly.

"Make sure they don't get lost."

"They won't," he assured. "Chakotay's a skilled tracker. He'll be back before you know it." He paused for a moment. "Why don't you rest a little bit more so when he comes back you'll be awake?" While she normally didn't like taking orders, resting was exactly what she needed right now. She pushed herself away from Harry so she could lay back down. As carefully as possible, he laid her back down. With the addition of Chakotay's tunic, she had a more substantial pillow to rest her head on, although she was still laying on the ground with minimal supplies to sustain her.

Once Harry settled Seven back down, he could better appreciate her delicate state. He knew her condition was serious, but now he understood that it was incredibly dire. She could barely sit up on her own, he had had to support her completely. Between that, the obvious confusion and the raging fever, he knew time was of the essence. Now Harry could fully understand why Chakotay had run off towards the shuttle in the middle of a plasma storm, it was the only chance they had at rescuing Seven.

Tom and Chakotay didn't need to wait long for someone to appear. One figure stumbled through the wind and debris outside and into the shelter of the shuttle, quickly followed by another. Tom and Chakotay locked eyes, silently communicating when to strike. They laid in wait until one of who they presumed were Kalrussians got close enough. With surprising speed for someone his size, Chakotay was on his feet and had the mysterious alien pinned to the wall of the shuttle with his arm pressed against his neck. It all happened in the blink of an eye, resulting in Tom being a few seconds behind Chakotay. He immediately jumped up and aimed the phaser at the other alien to prevent him from helping his friend.

"Don't move," he ordered over the sound of the wind outside. The shuttle rocked back and forth violently, but nobody seemed to notice. Realizing he was at a disadvantage, the Kalrussian immediately raised his hands in submission. Tom kept his phaser locked on the stranger while he waited for Chakotay to make the next move. Chakotay kept his arm pressed against the Kalrussian's neck, keeping him wedged firmly between the First Officer and the control panel built into the wall.

"Where are the supplies you took from our shuttle?" he demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Kalrussian stammered, his eyes wide in terror. This had never happened before, they always made sure the crafts they raided were empty.

"Don't lie to me," Chakotay snapped. "We've met some of your victims, we know that you raid shuttles when they come to help you with your bogus distress calls. We need our supplies back." Tom turned to the Kalrussian he had under guard.

"Where are our supplies?" he asked. The Kalrussians exchanged fleeting glances as they tried to figure out what was going on and how to get out of this situation. They never encountered their victims, let alone return supplies.

"We have no idea what you're talking about," the Kalrussion Chakotay had up against the wall stammered nervously as his eyes flitted back and forth as if searching for a way out of this.

"We just came across your shuttle and wanted to make sure everything was alright," the one Tom watched explained. He was a terrible liar.

"Don't lie to us!" Chakotay exclaimed. "We know you lure unsuspecting people here and then take all their supplies. We need them back right away. If you lie to us again, we'll fire." Tom did a double take. He'd never heard Chakotay make a threat like that before. While he had heard him make threats to ships, this was something entirely different, these were two seemingly unarmed individuals.

"Okay, okay, we took your supplies," Chakotay's prisoner admitted. The grip on his neck loosened but only just a little. "But they're gone. Everything's been distributed to our people."

"You don't need your supplies. Look how much you brought with you," the other Kalrussian argued. "Our people have nothing, we need your supplies. It's how we survive."

"That's where you're wrong," Chakotay growled. "You took something that one of our crew members needs. If she doesn't get it, she's going to die."

"I can assure you, we didn't take anything that important."

"Oh no, you just took all our food, water, medical supplies and severely damaged our shuttle," Tom commented sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

"That includes a mobile regenerator." Chakotay finally released his Kalrussian's neck. He grabbed the alien by the arm and swung him around to stand next to his comrade as he spoke. "And you're going to give it back, immediately." The wind and lightning outside was starting to subside, a sign that the plasma storm was starting to dissipate. The only good thing about the plasma storms here was the fact that they seemed to be short, albeit powerful.

"Mobile regenerator?"

"It's a device about this big, black and hexagonal in shape, and we need it back immediately." As he spoke, Chakotay motioned with his hands the approximate size and shape of the mobile regenerator. The Kalrussians exchanged lingering glances, silently discussing if they had seen such a device.

"I remember it," one of them finally admitted.

"Look, you can keep everything else, we just need the mobile regenerator back. We don't care about anything else you stole from us." Chakotay's tone shifted dramatically. He went from anger to desperation in the blink of an eye. This was the best news he'd heard since getting here.

"We don't give back what we take," one of the Kalrussians stated bluntly. "It goes against the way of our people." The desperation was gone from Chakotay's face. In the blink of an eye, it melted away to pure anger once again.

"Well make an exception!" he exclaimed. "If you don't, someone is going to die."

"It's not that simple." Without warning, Chakotay snatched the phaser out of Tom's hand and aimed it at both Kalrussians.

"Well make it that simple," he growled. His hand shot out, and he grabbed a hold of the shirt of one of the Kalrussians in a vice-like grip. "Because until you do, this man is coming with us." Tom's eyes nearly doubled in size. Never before had he seen Chakotay act like this, even as a Maquis. It was clear that this was a man out of options. It was an act of desperation that went against everything Chakotay usually stood for.

"Commander!" Tom exclaimed in shock. The free Kalrussian took a step towards Chakotay, which caused the First Officer to aim his phaser at the alien. He put his hands up in defeat.

"Okay, okay," he relented. "I think I know where it is. Just let Aritlin go." Chakotay refused to let go of the alien whose name he assumed was Aritlin. This was his only bargaining chip, and he wasn't going to give it up that easily.

"That's not happening. You can have your friend back once we have our mobile regenerator. It's a fair trade. Your friend for what you stole from us." The Kalrussian stopped to think. Chakotay's heart pounded in his chest. If he said no, he didn't have a backup plan, as harming Aritlin would hardly make the other Kalrussian more compliant and went against Chakotay's nature. He was already stepping out of his comfort zone, but he couldn't get Seven's desperate voice out of his head as she pleaded for some sort of reprieve from her suffering. This was his only chance to help her, and he wasn't going to throw away his shot.

"Fine," the Kalrussian relented. Although he agreed, Tom and Chakotay could see in his eyes that he wasn't at all happy. Aritlin looked shocked that his friend would so willingly give him up in an exchange for some pilfered items.

"Syachu!" he objected. "You're just going to leave me with these people?"

"I'll be back tomorrow with this...mobile regenerator." Syachu stumbled over the strange words. Aritlin still looked horrified at the notion of being used as collateral.

"Good, so get going," Chakotay ordered as he motioned towards the rear hatch. He kept his hand clamped down on Aritlin's arm with an iron grip. The last thing he needed was for him to escape. If he did, then there was no chance of ever getting Seven's mobile regenerator back. This was their one and only shot to get her help while waiting for _Voyager_ to return.

Outside the shuttle, the Kalrussian's flyer sat about fifty yards away. It was a sturdy, box-shaped shuttle made to withstand the powerful winds of plasma storms. At first blush, it didn't look like anything fancy, but when Tom got a better look at it, he was surprised by what he saw. The Kalrussians had taken parts from an unknown number of ships from all parts of the quadrant. It was actually an amazing piece of handiwork. These beings had to be incredibly skilled engineers to make systems from so many different alien ships all work together in perfect unison. Had it been a far more appropriate time, Tom would have loved to sit down with the Kalrussians and ask how they managed to do it. Grafting together the random parts from a wide range of sources was something they did on _Voyager_ , although he felt that the Kalrussians were far better at it. Right now, they were the enemy, the people who were the reason for Seven's current condition.

As they walked back to camp, Aritlin tried to jerk his arm free from Chakotay's grip, but the First Officer dug his fingers into the alien's arm, preventing him from escaping. A few hundred meters away was a small, box-like shuttle. It was hardly anything impressive, but it appeared to be able to withstand plasma storms. Unable to resist, Tom pulled out his tricorder and scanned the strange shuttle from a distance. Sure enough, the shuttle didn't appear on his tricorder. If he didn't see it in front of him, he wouldn't believe it. He made a mental note to tell Chakotay about it later. Right now, he was clearly distracted.

"We'll meet you back here at the same time tomorrow," Chakotay informed Syachu as the strange alien started to return to his shuttle.

"I'll be here," Syachu assured with a curt nod.

"With the mobile regenerator?"

"With the mobile regenerator." Chakotay still had some doubts, but this was their only chance at helping Seven right now. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain. As he watched Syachu disappear into a door that slid open on the side of the shuttle, he couldn't help but feel hopeful. He silently prayed that at this time tomorrow, Seven would be regenerating, and her suffering would be over.

Once the plasma storm passed, Harry moved Seven closer to the mouth of the cave with the help of Notaxi. He hoped that the fresh air would do her some good, although he knew it was probably an exercise in futility. She didn't need fresh air, she needed to regenerate. Henan swung his bag over his shoulder.

"I'm going to find something to help with your friend's fever," he announced. "I should be back in about an hour."

"Thank you."

"Just keep her hydrated and when she wakes up, try to get her to talk as much as possible to keep her mind working." Harry nodded. For some reason, it surprised him that Henan and Notaxi were so willing to help them, although he knew the Captain would do the same for anyone they encountered who needed help. Unfortunately, it was the Captain's willingness to always help others that got them in this situation to begin with; had they just minded their own business, they would be back on _Voyager_ , and Seven would be perfectly fine.

Having been so wrapped up in taking care of Seven, Harry didn't notice the mysterious shuttlecraft right next to their shuttle in the distance. It wasn't until the flyer took off, hovering no more than fifty feet above the ground as it scurried across the planet's surface, that he noticed it at all.

"What the hell?" he asked no one in particular as he got to his feet and took a few steps towards the shuttle. The only logical explanation he could think of was that it belonged to the mysterious Kalrussians. He took the shuttle's appearance as a good sign, that things were going as planned for Tom and Chakotay. No sooner had the mysterious shuttle departed did three figures appear in the distance. Harry immediately recognized two as Tom and Chakotay, but he couldn't figure out who the third one was. In an attempt to see better, he shielded his eyes against the sun, but it didn't do any good. All he could do was wait and see. He stood at the edge of camp, rooted to the spot with curiosity as the trio made the slow journey in the dying heat back to camp.

The entire way back to camp, Chakotay kept his hand firmly on Aritlin's arm. If the Kalrussian escaped, Chakotay knew all bets were off. He also knew that the Kalrussian knew the environment far better than anyone else in their motley crew, and it would be nearly impossible to track him down in this unfamiliar terrain. As they walked, Chakotay could sense Tom's uneasiness about how the situation had gone. Chakotay felt the same way, although he did his best to mask his emotions. He'd been the one to make the decision to bring Aritlin along, so he had to appear to be comfortable with his decision, even if he wasn't. He wondered if Kathryn would have done the same thing. He'd seen her take some pretty extreme measures to ensure the safety of her crew, but this was crossing the line. He'd essentially taken a hostage, all because his emotions got the best of him. Perhaps he should have tried to negotiate more with the Kalrussians before jumping right into anger and hostility. Today he knew he hadn't acted like a Starfleet officer but rather a Maquis, and now he had to live with the consequences of his actions.

As Tom and Chakotay got closer, Harry and Notaxi were able to get a better look at the third figure. It stood about a head shorter than the two men with a stocky build. From a distance, it looked almost human, but when he got closer, Harry saw that it clearly wasn't. It had long earlobes that were attached to his neck, tapering off until it disappeared. Its nose was upturned slightly at the end and faint brown swirls littered its tanned skin.

"Commander?" Harry greeted in confusion as the threesome finally returned to camp.

"How's Seven?" Chakotay asked as if he hadn't brought a stranger back to camp with them.

"She's resting. She woke up briefly during the storm and asked for you. I told her that you were exploring the caves; I didn't want her to worry." He nodded. Telling her the truth definitely would have caused her to grow agitated, which was a waste of her precious energy.

"Has she eaten anything?"

"She drank a little bit of water. Henan went to go get that root to help with her fever. Hopefully that will help with her appetite also."

"Thanks." Chakotay disappeared into the cave to check on Seven, leaving everyone else outside. Still unsure what was going on, Harry turned to Tom.

"Who's this?" he asked as he nodded towards the stranger who stood uncomfortably at the edge of the camp.

"This is Aritlin," Tom replied. "He's one of the Kalrussians who stole Seven's mobile regenerator. He'll be joining us until his friend comes back with the regenerator." He motioned towards the mouth of the cave, indicating the Kalrussian should take a seat and wait for further directions. Wide-eyed, Harry spun around to face Tom.

"A prisoner?" he hissed angrily. "Has Chakotay lost his mind?" Tom pulled Harry off to the side so he could talk to his friend in private.

"I've never seen him like that before in my life," he admitted. He made sure to keep his voice low so nobody else would hear him. "He was furious. Usually he's so calm when it comes to first contact and by the book, but he was wild and unpredictable."

"Maybe it was because it's Seven who's sick," Harry suggested. Tom shrugged. He thought about how he's reacted when B'Elanna's been sick or injured, and it's equally unpredictable and irrational. When you're First Officer, however, there was a different standard, a standard that Chakotay apparently had thrown out the airlock.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it went against every Starfleet edict about first contact." Chakotay emerged from the cave. Although they were several meters away from the mouth of the cave, Tom and Harry still cut the conversation short out of fear of him hearing them. This was something they would need to continue to discuss in private.

Once as settled as possible at the makeshift camp, Aritlin got a closer look at Henan and Notaxi. Although he couldn't figure out where, he felt that he had seen them before. It was a ridiculous notion really, his people almost never interacted with those they had lured to their planet. In fact, it was so strictly enforced that it was practically law, although nothing was ever formally put in place. Without even realizing it, Aritlin openly stared at the Ighanians. As ridiculous as it sounded, he knew he had seen them somewhere.

Sensing Aritlin's gaze, Henan glared at him and demanded, "What are you looking at?" Aritlin immediately averted his eyes.

"Nothing," he muttered. He didn't need to keep staring to confirm what he already knew. He had definitely seen the two aliens at his settlement. It had been many months ago, but he was certain that he had. He just couldn't remember why.

As the sun began to slip below the horizon, Henan finally returned from his exploration. The bag slung over his shoulder bulged with his hoard from the day. Based on the size of the usually flat bag, it could be assumed that he was very successful. When he saw Aritlin, Henan did a double take and looked to Notaxi for an answer.

"This is one of the Kalrussians who raided their shuttle," the Ighanian explained. "He'll be staying with us until his friend returns tomorrow with Seven's mobile regenerator." Henan crouched down in front of Aritlin to get a better look at him. They'd lived in constant fear of the Kalrussians and what they could do to them, but when he got a better look at the species, he realized that there wasn't anything to be afraid of. In fact, they looked quite pathetic. Aritlin's eyes constantly flitted across the camp, taking in his surroundings and trying to figure out what to do next. Henan had always expected someone cold hearted, as he figured you would need to be heartless to lure people here and strand them while you took all their supplies. Instead, he was face to face with a meek, almost pathetic looking being.

"This is it?" he sneered. "They don't look very frightening to me." Everyone agreed with Henan. The Kalrussians were hardly imposing figures. Harry figured that the Ighanians had probably made them seem like the monster under the bed and psyched themselves out over the fear of the unknown. In all honesty, the Kalrussians weren't anyone to be afraid of.

"Even so, we're not letting him go anywhere," Chakotay announced as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "He's our only guarantee to get the mobile regenerator back." Henan got to his feet.

"I found the root to help Seven," he stated as he dug through his bag and produced a handful of thin, stringy roots still littered with dirt. Chakotay felt relieved. Between their encounter with the Kalrussians and this news, he felt that they were finally catching a break.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked.

"Nothing. I can take care of it from here."

"Thank you." Henan nodded sympathetically. He could see in Chakotay's eyes that he was running out of options and desperate for anything that could potentially help Seven's current condition.

Voices swirled around Seven's head, muddling her already scattered thoughts. She felt someone try to lift her body up, so she groaned and attempted to push them away in protest. The voices grew louder and clearer. At first, they were distant and unintelligible. Now, they were starting to take form and become recognizable. At least some of them were.

"Okay, sit her up." Her body flopped over before being gently guided backwards against someone's strong frame. Her eyes opened slightly.

"What's going on?" she asked weakly as she tried to look around and get her bearings. Everything in front of her was a blur. Her optical implant was malfunctioning and making it difficult to focus on anything for longer than a few seconds before it went out of focus. Her usually sharp eyesight was failing rapidly.

"We have something that'll help with your fever." Chakotay's voice rumbled, sending shockwaves through her. "Open your mouth." Seven tried to comply, but she could barely open her mouth. "Just a little bit more." His fingers brushed against her sensitive skin as he pried open her mouth. Seven whipped her head back and forth in protest and began to shiver. His fingers felt like ice.

"Too cold," she muttered. "Too cold."

"I know, but it's only for a moment." As much as it pained him, Chakotay ignored her protests. He managed to hold her still and open her mouth just enough for Henan to pour the warm mixture he'd brewed from the roots down her throat. Almost immediately, Seven sputtered. She pushed herself away from Chakotay and began to gag. To better support her fragile frame, he wrapped an arm around her. She could feel heat radiating from her body through her bodysuit, which was covered with sweat. With his free hand, he pulled her hair back from her face as he attempted to comfort her.

From the other side of the camp, Aritlin watched as Chakotay and Henan tried in vain to get Seven to drink the concoction. His brows furrowed in curiosity and concern. Never before had he thought about the repercussions of his people's actions. It was merely how they survived on such an inhospitable planet: they lored people here and stole their belongings. It had been that was for so long that it was simply second nature to them. Never before had he seen the consequences or even thought about them, he had always been more concerned with providing for his people. As far as he knew, the people they took from almost always made it back home in one piece and with minimal harm done to them, although they might struggle to survive for a few days until they were rescued. Apparently he was wrong. He wondered if everyone they took supplies from suffered this much and if his people knew about these negative consequences.

Harry sat down next to Aritlin and handed him a small bowl filled with soup. Aritlin took the bowl but kept his eyes locked on Seven as Chakotay attempted to comfort her through another fever-induced outburst as he attempted to get her to drink some of the medicine prepared for her.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked as he nodded in her general direction.

"She needs to regenerate," Harry replied grimly. Aritlin still looked confused. "Seven's a former Borg. Our Doctor managed to remove most of the Borg implants from her body, but she still needs to regenerate. You stole her mobile regenerator, and without it, she's going to die." Aritlin's heart fluttered at the prospect of being the one responsible for this woman's demise. He knew that the situation was serious, but not that serious.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "What we were doing was harmless. We never hurt anyone. We never mean to cause anyone any harm."

"Well you should have thought about that before you put out false distress calls," Tom snapped as he walked by the pair with his own bowl of soup in his hands. While Harry might be getting all chummy with the Kalrussian, Tom refused to do so. He was the reason they were stranded here, and he was the root of most of the suffering and hardship the away party had endured. If it wasn't for him, they'd be on _Voyager_ without any problems, having never come here in the first place.

Chakotay carefully lowered Seven to the ground and rolled her onto her back. The coughing and gagging had drained her of what little energy she had. He smoothed her hair back from her face and pressed the back of her hand against her cheek. The front of her bodysuit was covered with a combination of sweat and the medicine from Henan. It was difficult to tell how much of it she'd actually consumed. One could only hope that it was enough to make a difference and help lower her fever.

"How long until we know if it worked?" Chakotay asked.

"It's hard to tell. If it works, her fever should be lower in about an hour, but I can't be certain how much she actually consumed." Chakotay certainly hoped it would work. Even if her fever only went down by a few degrees, it could make all the difference as they waited for Syachu to return with her mobile regenerator tomorrow. It was going to be a long hour to wait. Although his task was completed, Henan lingered by Chakotay's side. "Do you mind if I ask a question?"

"No, go ahead," Chakotay replied as he sat next to Seven's head. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, although he was convinced that she was too far gone at the moment to feel him but it gave him a sense of comfort doing it.

"How did you end up with a Borg as a member of your crew?" The question didn't surprise him at all. What did surprise him was the fact that it had taken so long for either Henan or Notaxi to ask it. It was a perfectly reasonable question, especially given the infamy of the Borg all across the galaxy.

"We attempted to cross Borg territory, and we discovered that there were these aliens who could actually destroy the Borg and anyone else they encountered. We found a way to stop them and thought we could work out some sort of alliance with the Borg: that information for safe passage across their territory." Henan raised an eyebrow.

"An alliance with the Borg?" he asked. He almost sounded amused by the notion. Now that he said it aloud, Chakotay realized how ridiculous it sounded to outsiders, although he found it equally ludicrous at the time. It had been one of a few times where he and the Captain had outright disagreed with each other this much about an issue.

"My Captain was desperate. I thought it was a terrible idea, but we found a way to make it work. My Captain and another crewman stayed on a Borg Cube, but it was attacked by the other aliens. They transported to our ship. All but Seven were killed in a battle."

"So she was still a part of the Collective?" Chakotay nodded.

"We found a way to sever her tie with the Collective, and she's been a member of our crew ever since." Henan found the tale fascinating. He knew many who had been assimilated by the Borg over the years, and he always thought that they were gone for good. With this new information, however, he learned that he was wrong. It was possible to take someone who had been assimilated and return them to their previous state.

"Is she the only Borg on your ship?"

"We have one other, Icheb. We had four children too, but they were sent back to their homeworld. Seven and Icheb are the only ones with us now."

"So you've been successful at unassimilating several drones," Henan pressed eagerly.

"It's not that easy, and they're not fully back to their old lives. They'll always need to regenerate and always have to fight with their call to the Collective. If we get close to a Borg Cube, they can hear the Collective." Henan was still working on processing the information. As far as he was concerned, this was a way to put an end to the Borg and their destruction across the quadrant.

Further conversation about the Borg was cut off by Seven shifting uncomfortably and muttering under her breath. Chakotay immediately leapt into action, hovering over her and smoothing down her hair tenderly.

"I'm right here, _muñeca_ ," he murmured. Despite his best attempts, she continued to grow more agitated, even going so far as to push his hand away in protest.

"No, no," she muttered in a clearer voice. "Stop it, no!" Sensing something was wrong, Tom rushed to Chakotay's side with the tricorder out.

"What's going on?" Henan asked.

"She's having another delusion," Tom responded. He carefully lifted each of Seven's eyelids. Her glazed over eyes whipped around without focusing on anything in particular.

"Get off me!" Seven cried. For someone so weak with fever, she was surprisingly strong as she pushed Tom and Chakotay away. "Mama! Papa! Where are my parents? Let me go!" Horror flashed across Chakotay's face as he realized what was going on. Of all the delusions she could suffer through, it had be something traumatic like this.

"Seven, you're safe," he assured as he grabbed her shoulders with desperation. "There aren't any Borg here, you're safe. I'm right here, and I'm going to protect you, _muñeca_. Listen to my voice." Seven continued to thrash violently against Chakotay as he attempted to comfort her. He would do anything to stop the delusions, especially this one. Nobody ever deserved to relive their assimilation twice, especially not Seven. She'd been ripped from her parents, never to be a family again. Her delusions were becoming worse, and Chakotay feared that it was only a matter of time until her delusions completely consumed her.

From the other end of camp, Harry watched as Chakotay and Tom attempted to calm Seven down. She certainly put up one hell of a fight against the two men as she pushed and fought them off. Had the situation not been so serious, Harry would have found it almost amusing. Tom and Chakotay were both highly skilled in hand to hand combat, yet sickly Seven of Nine was giving them a run for their money. He looked over at Aritlin, who looked equally shocked at the events transpiring in front of them.

"Still think you never hurt anyone?" he asked grimly. Aritlin was stunned into silence by what he was seeing. In order to distract himself, he took a small sip of his soup, although it sat like a pile of rocks in his stomach, making him feel nauseous.

Drained of energy again, Seven stopped fighting against Chakotay and Tom and collapsed. Her chest heaved with exertion. Both men were on edge, ready at a moment's notice for her to start up again. After a few minutes, they began to relax as well. Now that she was lying still, Tom was able to scan Seven properly.

"Her fever is down to a hundred and four," he observed. One degree was hardly something to celebrate. It could just be a fluke. Chakotay had been hoping for far better results from the medicine.

"I'm more concerned about these delusions," he stated. "They can do some real damage to a person's psyche."

"We just have to get through the next hour or so to see if the medicine worked," Henan assured.

"That's a big if," Chakotay commented darkly. After Seven's latest outburst, he had serious doubts that Henan's magical root would do anything to help her deteriorating condition, but it was the only hope he had until Syachu returned tomorrow with the mobile regenerator. "Where's more of that root? That might help." Tom didn't need to be told twice. He immediately scrambled to his feet and searched for the root.

As Tom carried another bowl of medicine back to Chakotay, Aritlin got to his feet to get a better look. From a distance, he watched as Chakotay carefully held Seven against his chest and desperately tried to coax some of the liquid past her cracked lips. The majority of the liquid dribbled down her chest and across her chest, but some of it thankfully made it into her mouth. Aritlin recognized the liquid immediately; he'd taken it a few times over the years, and it definitely did it's job quickly and efficiently, they should be seeing the results of the medicine within a few minutes.

As darkness began to settle over the camp, its members began to bed down for the night. Despite the fact that he looked dead on his feet, Chakotay refused to lay down as he sat vigil next to Seven. It looked like the man hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in days. Tom crouched down next to him.

"Commander, you need to sleep," he pleaded with desperation.

"I'm fine," Chakotay insisted.

"No you're not," Tom argued. The defiance caught Chakotay off guard. Tom was known to argue with authority in the past, but parenthood had softened him, made him more likely to listen to his superiors. "You look like the walking dead. I know you've barely slept since we got here. Harry and I will watch Seven and Aritlin. You need to get some rest."

"I'll rest when we get back to _Voyager_." Tom rolled his eyes. He knew that that wasn't going to happen. Chakotay worked twice as hard as every other crew member, with the exception of the Captain of course, and never took time to himself; he was fiathfully dedicated to _Voyager_ and her crew.

"You'll be no good helping Seven if you wear yourself out. Just rest for a few hours. I promise you, I'll wake you if anything happens." The First Officer still looked reluctant to agree. While he didn't intend for it to be a commentary on Tom's ability to keep an eye on Seven, he would feel much more comfortable if he was the one watching her. Besides, Tom had already done so much to watch over Seven since they got here, it was only fair that he return the favor by watching over her himself. "It'll just be for a few hours. Harry and I can take care of things here." Chakotay smoothed Seven's hair back from her face.

"You'll wake me at the first sign of something going wrong?" he asked skeptically.

"Scout's honor." To make his point, Tom held up his right hand, causing Chakotay to crack the faintest hint of a smile, but as quickly as it appeared, it was gone

"Okay, I'm putting you in charge then." Tom eyed the small camp and kept his sarcastic comment to himself. There wasn't a whole lot for him to be in charge of: one Ensign, two aliens who were helping them and one alien prisoner.

"Aye Commander," he agreed. Chakotay continued to eye Seven, unsure where he should rest. Tom could see him trying to figure it out while he over-analyzed every small detail.

"Look, I'm not saying you need to go far. You can lay down with her, nobody will judge you." The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of the First Officer's lips as he let out a sigh.

"No, it's just a conversation Seven and I had our first night here. She was trying to figure out the best sleeping arrangement in the tents that wouldn't arouse your suspicions and would keep everyone happy." Tom couldn't help but smile a little as well. That didn't surprise him at all, she was always so analytical.

"Well, things have changed now, and you need to get some rest before we're looking after you also." Deep down inside, Chakotay knew he was right. He needed to get some rest. He stretched out alongside Seven and wrapped his arm loosely around her waist. She didn't budge. He didn't wrap his arm around her for comfort, but he wanted to feel her near him, just in case anything went wrong while he slept. Satisfied, Tom left the couple alone to sleep in peace, giving them just enough distance to feel like they had privacy but close enough to help Seven if something were to go wrong.

The fire slowly began to die down, gradually plunging the small camp into darkness as everyone settled down for a night of sleeping under the stars. Harry had to admit that the sleeping arrangements were growing on him, and he could appreciate why Chakotay enjoyed the desert so much. On the other hand, he wanted nothing more than to crawl into his nice, comfortable bed and get a good night's sleep without rocks pressing into his aching joints. If anything, this away mission made him appreciate _Voyager_ that much more. He missed the routine, the familiar faces and even leola root, which he never thought he'd ever miss. After this away mission, he'd never take anything on _Voyager_ for granted again.

Satisfied that Chakotay was finally resting, Tom sat down next to Harry and tossed a few extra sticks on the fire to keep it burning for a little while longer. Both men glanced over at their First Officer. They could barely make out his form in the shadows as he curled his body protectively around Seven, both to sense if something were to go wrong and to protect her from anything that may befall them. They could see the faint glimmer of Seven's optical implant as she slept nestled against Chakotay. She seemed to have calmed down significantly when he laid down next to her, which they took as a good sign.

"How's she doing?" Harry asked softly.

"Not good," Tom replied honestly. There was no way he could beat around the bush, anyone with eyes could see that Seven's health was poor. "The medicine from Henan didn't help, and her fever is still dangerously high. Her delusions are getting worse too. I have no idea what to do."

"Is there anything you can do?" He shook his head.

"Not until they come back with the mobile regenerator. With any luck, by this time tomorrow, this will all be behind us." Harry shared Tom's cautious optimism. Tom cracked a small smile, though Harry couldn't figure out what in the world could be so funny right now.

"What?"

"I just realized something. Tomorrow we're supposed to rendezvous with _Voyager_."

 **Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed chapter 14! Make sure you leave a review and check out my other fic: Adjustment Period, which is another Chakotay/Seven fic that is very different from this one.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Sharp cries pierced the night. No, it wasn't night, it was early morning, and it was almost time to get up. A few more minutes was all that was necessary after such a rough night full of interruptions, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. Despite the fact that it just felt like everyone went to sleep a few hours earlier, it was time to get up.

Groaning, B'Elanna rolled over and announced sleepily, "Tom, it's your turn" before pulling the blankets up around her shoulders to ward off the cool air. After a few seconds of continuous crying, it dawned on her: Tom was still gone, which explained her extreme exhaustion. She'd been pulling double duty as both mom and dad for the past week, along with working her regular shifts in engineering. Thankfully, Tom was supposed to return today and put an end to her non-stop work. B'Elanna thought about all the things she was going to make him do when he got back tonight as she climbed out of bed and padded over to Miral's crib at the end of the bed. As soon as the infant saw her mother, she stopped crying. It was hard for B'Elanna to be frustrated with her daughter when she saw her pudgy face and big eyes; there was no way she could ever stay mad at her. "Did you just want to be held?" B'Elanna cooed as she picked Miral up. The child instantly nuzzled her mother's shirt and smiled slightly. "Alright then, I still have half an hour of sleep. As long as you don't tell your father, you can sleep in bed with me." It appeared to be the only way B'Elanna was going to get any decent sleep. She laid Miral down on Tom's side of the bed and crawled in next to her. Almost instantly, both of them were fast asleep once again. This wasn't the first time she'd let Miral sleep in bed with her over the past week, she just hoped it wouldn't become a habit, as Tom would not approve.

No sooner had B'Elanna laid down and closed her eyes did her alarm go off, instantly waking up both her and Miral. Miral began to wail and pump her tiny fists and feet in the air in protest to the noisy intrusion that disrupted her precious sleep. B'Elanna shared the sentiment about being woken up, but she knew she had to get her day started.

"Oh, so it's okay if you wake me up, but not the other way around?" she teased as she scooped up the child and gently rocked her back and forth and she paced through the quarters. On her way to the bathroom, she scooped up the baby carrier Samantha had so graciously given her shortly after Miral's birth and carried it to the bathroom. She set up the device on the floor where she could see it from the sonic shower. All of this was starting to become routine to her; she was starting to get used to getting ready for her duty shift while simultaneously looking after Miral completely on her own. Usually she and Tom passed her back and forth, allowing them each a few minutes of uninterrupted time, but she didn't have that luxury, not until his return tomorrow that is. "Computer, turn on sonic shower." Vibrations pulsed through the shower stall. Satisfied, B'Elanna pulled off her pajamas and tossed them to the floor. Wide-eyed, Miral watched her mother. Unable to resist, B'Elanna tickled her fat stomach, causing her to smile. "Your daddy's going to be back today," she cooed as she climbed into the shower. "And he's going to be taking care of you every night for the next week to make up for leaving me." It was obvious that Miral had no idea what her mother was saying, but the soothing lilt of her voice entertained her long enough for B'Elanna to take a shower.

Talking to Miral was strangely comforting to B'Elanna as well. She knew there was no way her daughter could possibly understand her, but it gave her a sense of companionship with Tom being gone for this long. Talking to Miral also helped her from losing her mind from all the sleep deprivation. Usually at night they took turns getting up to take care of the child, but for the past week, everything was on B'Elanna. She was barely running on enough sleep to function, which made completing her work in engineering difficult. When Tom got back today, he would be taking over all parental duties, at least for a day or two while B'Elanna got everything together and caught up on her sleep. As she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel firmly around her, she realized that she had it easy; she knew Tom would be back today to help with Miral. Samantha, on the other hand, was raising Naomi alone and had no idea when she'd see her husband again for a break. Of course, the entire crew was here to help whenever she needed, and Samantha didn't have the same pressure and responsibilities as B'Elanna as the chief engineer, but she wasn't going to compare the two situations. Samantha was raising her daughter, alone, and had done so for several years now. She was the one who got up every single time in the middle of the night to take care of Naomi's needs. She was the one responsible for her education, entertainment and wellbeing, along with her regular Starfleet duties. B'Elanna, on the other hand, only had to do this for a week before Tom returned to help her. As B'Elanna picked up Miral to nurse her, she realized just how lucky she was. Perhaps she wouldn't make Tom take care of all the parenting duties for the next few days while she caught up on sleep...just most of them.

With her precious coffee in hand, Kathryn sat at her desk in her ready room and started filtering through the stack of PADDS scattered across her desk. With Chakotay gone for the past week, she had picked up a lot of his duties, along with her own. That included taking care of personnel issues, making the duty rosters and other tasks she hadn't had to worry about for several years. All of it made her appreciate Chakotay and his work that much more; over the years, she'd forgotten just how much he does for _Voyager_. At this point in their relationship and journey home, she didn't even need to ask him to do much, he automatically knew what was expected of him and even tended to have it done before Kathryn even knew it needed to be done herself. It made the process of running the ship significantly smoother. On the other hand, it made the time Chakotay spent away from the bridge that much more difficult for Kathryn as she adapted to not having him by her side. She even missed their morning conversations, a chance for them to talk about anything and everything, after over seven years together, there were no secrets between them. She would be glad to have him back at the end of the day. Tomorrow, they would get back to their old routine.

Kathryn's thoughts about Chakotay's temporary departure from _Voyager_ were interrupted by her door chirping. Unaware that she had been daydreaming, she jumped slightly, taking a moment to quickly compose herself and go back to reading over the report on her PADD.

Without glancing up from the work spread out in front of her, she called, "Come in." The door slid open, revealing Tuvok. The Vulcan had done an amazing job at stepping up and filling in for Chakotay while he was gone, not that Kathryn would expect anything less from him. Kathryn felt bad asking more from him though, he already did so much on _Voyager_ and never once asked for anything in return.

"Captain," Tuvok greeted formally with a curt nod.

"Good morning, Mr. Tuvok," Kathryn greeted with feigned enthusiasm and perkiness. While he may not display emotions himself, Tuvok could instantly tell that something was bothering her.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked.

"No, not at all," Kathryn assured as she got up to pour herself another cup of coffee. "What can I do for you?" Just the smell of fresh coffee was enough to start waking her up.

"We will be at the rendezvous point in approximately four hours." She nodded.

"Very good. Have we heard from the away team yet?"

"There has been no communication with the away team or the shuttle craft, but it is possible that we are still out of communication range with them." Kathryn shook her head.

"I don't like it. Have operations check on that and keep me posted. We should be close enough to start communicating with the shuttle soon."

"Aye, Captain."

Tuvok turned to leave, but Kathryn called after him, "And Mr. Tuvok?" Confused, Tuvok turned around. He had been under the impression that he was dismissed.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Thank you for all your help this past week. The ship wouldn't have run nearly as smoothly without you."

"It is always my pleasure to help you, Captain." With that being said, Tuvok turned to leave, the doors closing behind him, leaving Kathryn alone to shift through the PADDS that littered her desk. She wanted to get through the backlog of work as quickly as possible so Chakotay wouldn't have to do all of it along with his regular duties as First Officer.

After two hours of pouring over PADDS, reports and duty rosters, Kathryn felt like her head was going to explode; she could only stare at a screen for so long before going crazy. There was still work that needed to be done, but it could wait. Right now, she desperately needed a break. It had been far too long since she had been on the bridge, and she wanted to check on everything. While she trusted Tuvok to run everything smoothly, she wanted to be there herself. She would have to bounce between her ready room and bridge all day to get everything done, but she would find a way to make it happen, just like she always did.

The bridge felt empty with Tom, Harry and Chakotay gone, like part of the bridge had been taken with them on the away mission. The crewmen who took their places all were good at their jobs, but there was something about having the three of them there that was comforting and familiar; the way Tom joked around, the way Chakotay always had a deep, insightful story to share, and Harry's unceasing optimism at every little prospect of getting back to the Alpha Quadrant. All of them were characteristics she had taken for granted over the years. Kathryn entered the bridge and took a seat at her chair. Even her chair felt lonely without Chakotay by her side.

"Status update," she ordered.

"We'll rendezvous with the away team in approximately two hours," the crewman at the con announced.

"Mr. Tuvok, any word from the away team?"

"They are still too far away to communicate with. We should hear from them within the next hour and a half."

"Excellent. I want to be informed the minute we hear from them. A week is far too long without any communication." Kathryn leaned over in her chair to the console mounted between her chair and Chakotay's chair. She carefully analyzed the information on it, checking the status of her ship. It was second nature to her. Whenever there was downtime on the bridge, she liked to randomly check the status of various systems, just in case. It allowed her to nip any potential problems in the bud and be more aware of what was going on around her. As far as she could tell, the ship was running smoothly, and they were right on schedule to intercept the away team. Once they did, they would set a course for the Alpha Quadrant once again.

The more B'Elanna stared at the report in her hands, the less it made sense to her. She had been trying to read the same sentence for the past five minutes, but the words simply blurred together incoherently. She tried reading it again, this time muttering each word under her breath as she read in the hopes that it would help. It didn't. She started again.

"Lieutenant?" B'Elanna had been so caught up in her attempts that she didn't hear anyone approach her. Her head shot up.

"Huh? What? Yeah?" she stammered. Vorik stood directly in front of her with his usual serious, almost deadpan expression.

"I just asked you if you were alright," he repeated. B'Elanna ran her hand over her face.

"Yeah, never better," she snapped sarcastically as she tried to walk away. Unfortunately for her, Vorik trailed after her. He knew her better than that.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

"Vorik, I'm exhausted, I'm stressed, and I'm trying to get some work done. If you continue to pester me like this, I'll rip out your spine and beat you over the head with it." While everyone on _Voyager_ knew that B'Elanna never followed through on her threats of extreme violence, it was always a sign to everyone around her to give her some space.

"Aye, Sir," Vorik said before going back to work. Finally alone once again, B'Elanna attempted to read over the report she still clenched tightly in her hand. She needed to find a way to focus on her work, as she still had a long shift ahead of her.

 _Voyager_ dropped out of warp and slowed to a gradual stop. They had arrived at the rendezvous point right on time, but there was no sign of the away team on the view screen. Confused, Kathryn turned to Tuvok for some answers. Chakotay was always prompt when it came to meeting up after an away mission.

Kathryn didn't need to ask what was going on for Tuvok to announce, "Sensors are not picking up any signs of the shuttle."

"Maybe they came early and left to investigate something nearby. Are there any signs of a warp trail?" Kathryn asked. It was the only explanation she could think of, there was no reason for the away team not to be here.

"Negative, Captain. There is no sign of them anywhere." Kathryn sighed while she tried to think of what to do.

"Well, we're not going to go anywhere," she concluded. "We're right on time, and they could be running a little bit late. We'll wait here for them. I want you to scan all frequencies for any communication from the away team. They could have put out a message that we missed to explain why they aren't here. In the meantime, I want to run a diagnostic on the problem with the environmental controls on deck six and the glitch in the Doctor's programming. Now's a good as time as any to get some routine maintenance done. I want a status report in one hour."

"Aye, Captain." As Kathryn got to her feet to retreat to her ready room to attempt to get more work done, the bridge scurried with life. Everyone jumped up to complete the tasks assigned to them. Kathryn lingered on the bridge for a few extra moments and looked at the view screen. All that she could see was stars in every direction. There weren't any planets or systems anywhere near here. If something had happened to the away team while they waited for _Voyager_ to arrive, there wouldn't be anyone to help them.

The pile of reports on Kathryn's desk slowly began to shrink as she worked her way through them. When she decided to become a captain, she didn't realize how much paperwork would be involved in it. She thought she would just need to be a strong leader and able to make tough decisions under pressure. Now, she knew much better. She had to deal with the personal issues of her crew, wade through massive amounts of reports and paperwork on a daily basis and keep up the morale of the ship during tough times, no matter how she was feeling herself. She always had to put on a strong face and make it look like she knew what she was doing, even if she had no idea. She also had to be able to compartmentalize. While she was concerned about the status of the away team, she had to focus on the reports in front of her. She figured there had to be some sort of logical reason for the away team's delay. It was a pretty long trip for them to make, even if it was in the Delta Flyer, and they could have been delayed with their relief efforts, or at least that's what Kathryn told herself to help her focus on the task in front of her. Right now, there wasn't anything she could do about the away team's absence, but there was something she could do about the work in front of her, so that was what she needed to put all her energy into.

One hour on the dot after she gave her orders, Kathryn returned to the bridge. The moment she stepped out onto the bridge, she could instantly tell that the news wasn't good. There was an aura that surrounded all the crewmen that spoke volumes.

"What's the status of the away team?" she barked.

"There are no signs of the away team on any sensors," Tuvok replied. "And there are no replies on any communication frequencies."

"Well keep scanning. I want to stay here overnight and wait for them." Kathryn took a seat on her seat and crossed her legs. While she'd never admit it to her crew, she was starting to get a little worried. She knew that the away team was only a little late, but it was still unsettling, especially given the fact that this was incredibly unlike Chakotay. He would never make her worry like this, it went against everything he believed in as her First Officer. "I want hourly updates on the situation until we rendezvous with the away team." There was a round of "Aye, Captain"s and "Aye, Sir"s that circulated around the bridge as everyone started their latest set of directions. There had to be a logical explanation for the absence of the away team, although no one could figure out what that explanation could be.

In Engineering, B'Elanna paced along the warp core. She could feel her muscles tense with frustration and exasperation. Tom, Chakotay and the rest of the away team were supposed to be back seven hours ago, and there was still no sign of them and not a single word from them. She clenched her fists and furrowed her brow as she attempted to calm herself down, but nothing worked. She hit her comm badge.

In her frustration, she hit herself harder than she intended, but she ignored the pain and barked, "B'Elanna to the Captain." There was a pause as the message was transmitted over the communication system to Kathryn.

"Yes B'Elanna?" Even over the comm system, B'Elanna could tell that the Captain was starting to feel frustrated with their current situation. It was subtle, but the Lieutenant was familiar enough with the Captain and her usual mannerisms to hear it in her voice, it was tenser, more curt than usual.

"Any news on the away team?" There was a sense of desperation in B'Elanna's voice. She'd expected to be reunited with her husband hours ago and needed to make sure he was alright; he had a knack for getting himself into trouble, even on the simplest of away missions.

"No, B'Elanna," Kathryn sighed. "As soon as I find out something, you'll be the first one to know."

"Okay, thank you, Captain. Torres out." The comm line went dead. B'Elanna felt bad for calling the Captain for the third time since the away team didn't show up. She knew she was stressed, but she was feeling just as much pressure herself. This was her husband she was waiting for. It was hard enough being out of communication with him for the past week, and now she had no idea what was going on or why he wasn't back yet, which caused her stress level to increase exponentially.

No sooner did Kathryn get off the comm system with B'Elanna, did the door to her ready room beeped. Sighing, she tossed the PADD in her hand to the side. Apparently fate was against her getting any work done today.

"Come in," she called. The door slid open, revealing Icheb. The door closed behind him, allowing them to speak in privacy.

"Icheb." Kathryn had to admit that she wasn't entirely surprised to see the young man in her ready room. She figured it was really only a matter of time until he showed up; she was surprised that it took him this long. "Let me guess, you're worried about the away team." Icheb looked slightly uncomfortable.

"I don't want to be disrespectful," he admitted. "But it's not like Seven to be this late." Kathryn got to her feet and wrapped a supporting arm around Icheb's shoulder and guided him over to the couch along the far wall of the large room.

"I know," she agreed. "But this was a very unique mission." They took a seat next to each other. "We knew we would be out of contact with the away team for the duration of their mission."

"Yes, but long range sensors aren't picking up the shuttle." Icheb immediately closed his mouth and mentally reprimanded himself. He was talking to the Captain right now, and he needed to remember to treat her with the utmost respect and honor her decisions, even if he disagreed with them.

"That could mean that they haven't left the planet yet. Remember, the atmosphere was full of interference." All Kathryn had to do was look at Icheb to know that he wasn't convinced. She could see it in his eyes. Not only was Seven his mentor, but she was like a mother to him. She guided him through life and made sure he was always on track and completing his studies appropriately. It was understandable that he was concerned about her wellbeing.

"Something just doesn't feel right." Kathryn gave his knee a reassuring pat.

"I promise you, I am weighing every option and thinking of the best solution to our problem. For the next day or so, however, we're going to wait here for the away team to show up."

"Okay, Captain." Icheb didn't sound any more reassured as he got to his feet. Kathryn followed his lead and stood up as well. Icheb walked towards the door; he had to return to astrometrics. With Seven gone, he was the one picking up most of the slack in the astrometrics lab. He hoped that when she returned, Seven would be proud of him, although it was difficult to tell with her, she was always so serious.

"Icheb?" He stopped and turned around. "I promise you, Seven's perfectly fine." For some reason, that reassurance was all Icheb needed to feel better. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and his shoulders visibly relaxed as he exited the ready room to return to his duties.

Kathryn had no way of knowing Seven's current condition, or the welfare of the rest of the away team for that matter. She knew that Seven was in safe hands. Chakotay would do anything to keep her safe, and Tom was equally protective of anyone on the crew; not that there would be any issue. She had sent them on an easy away mission, one of the easiest they'd encountered in months. All of them had been on far more dangerous missions a hundred times over; they could handle a few days providing relief to a planet in distress. There was some sort of logical, harmless reason as to why the away team was late. Tomorrow they'd be back on _Voyager_ , and Chakotay would regale her with tales about what had happened during the mission during their weekly dinner, and it would be like had ever happened.

The second B'Elanna got back to her quarters, she scooped Miral up in her arms and cradled the small child against her chest. Miral grabbed at the front of her mother's uniform and nuzzled her breast hungrily. The crewman who was helping by watching the infant, nodded in B':Elanna's direction as she headed out the door to her own quarters for the night. B'Elanna barely acknowledged her, she was more focused on tending to her daughter and perhaps getting some rest, although the latter seemed highly unlikely.

"I know, I know, just give me a minute." Carefully holding Miral against her with one hand, B'Elanna contorted her body to pull off her tunic and grey undershirt, revealing the tank top underneath. Miral began to whine in protest. B'Elanna gently bounced her up and down as she sat down on the couch and adjusted herself accordingly. Finally seeing the object of her desire, Miral latched on and suckled greedily. B'Elanna gently ran her thumb across the infant's smooth cheek. "Well, little girl, it looks like it's going to be you and me for another night," she sighed as she made herself comfortable on the couch with her feet kicked up casually on the coffee table.

No sooner had B'Elanna made herself comfortable did the doorbell ring. Knowing she couldn't answer the door while nursing Miral, she gently unlatched her daughter from her breast. Miral immediately screwed up her small face and opened her mouth, letting out a loud, powerful wail in protest. B'Elanna did her best to comfort the child as she adjusted her shirt to cover herself. Miral refused to be consoled. Now that she'd gotten a taste of her dinner, she craved more. Unfortunately, she would have to wait.

"Come in," B'Elanna sighed over the cries without getting up. She was too tired to move. The door opened, revealing Kathryn. "Captain." B'Elanna started to scramble to her feet.

"At ease," Kathryn said with a small chuckle as she held up her hand. Despite the fact that the shift was over for the day, the Captain was still in her uniform, not that she really wore anything else. "I came to see how you're doing." Miral continued to wail, making it difficult to carry on a conversation.

"I'm exhausted, my husband was supposed to be back today and is M.I.A., and my daughter is constantly crying," B'Elanna snapped as she continued to bounce Miral in her arms in an attempt to calm her down. It didn't work. "But otherwise I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Kathryn took a seat across from B'Elanna, indicating that she intended to stay for a while. "Listen, Captain, I'm glad you're stopping by, but I need to feed Miral."

"Oh! Do you want me to come back?" She thought about the offer for a few seconds but ultimately decided against it. If the Captain was here after a long and arduous shift, then she must have an important reason. It wasn't every day that the Captain showed up in her private quarters.

"No, just hand me that blanket." Kathryn found a pink receiving blanket flung over the back of her chair and handed it to B'Elanna who expertly draped it over her shoulder before adjusting herself. The task was made much difficult by the fact that Miral continued to scream in hungry protest. As B'Elanna focused on Miral, Kathryn had a chance to glance around the quarters. With the exception of Chakotay and Tuvok, very rarely did she ever venture into her crew's quarters; she had to maintain some sort of boundary between herself and her crew. While she had been in the Paris family's quarters several times, she was still astounded by the change that they had undergone since Miral's birth. When _Voyager_ 's journey first started, Tom's quarters were littered with dirty plates, clothes and random personal effects. The flat surfaces weren't covered with dirty dishes and partially eaten food anymore but instead holophotos of the small family and various baby paraphernalia. It was a drastic change that signified the end of Tom's wild bachelor days, only to be replaced by days full of changing diapers and crawling around on the floor with his daughter. Now, toys and other baby items covered the floor. Kathryn knew that B'Elanna usually kept the quarters clean, with Miral's toys in their designated buckets that lined the wall, the clothes neatly folded and put away and everything in its correct spot. While the quarters were far from a mess, but they weren't in the condition they were normally in. It spoke volumes as to how B'Elanna was really handing the week long separation from Tom.

Miral's screams were replaced with gulping and small mews of contentment as she latched on to B'Elanna's breast. As soon as the crying stopped, B'Elanna was able to visibly relax, at least a little bit. Up close, Kathryn could see large bags under the engineer's eyes, and she seemed to have lost some color in her cheeks.

"B'Elanna," she said gently. "How are you really doing?" The question caught B'Elanna off guard. She'd already told the Captain that she was fine, why would she need to repeat the question?

"I already told you how I am," B'Elanna snapped. "I'm making it work without Tom until they finally decide to show up...whenever that is." There was resentment and frustration in her voice, which was understandable given the current situation.

Never one to beat around the bush, Kathryn stated, "I know you're stressed about the away team, and I wanted to let you know that you're not the only one." Confusion flashed across B'Elanna's face. It sounded to her like the Captain as openly admitting that she was worried about the away team as well. "Icheb came to me and said he's worried about them too."

"So what are we going to do about it?" B'Elanna's voice came out testier than she originally intended. While she had a strong relationship with Kathryn, she had to remember that she was still her Captain and had to respect her accordingly. Kathryn seemed unfazed by her attitude. At this point she knew it was her normal method of communication, especially when she's upset.

"We're going to hold our location until tomorrow, and if nothing comes up on our sensors, then we're going to turn back and return to the planet."

"So how long until the away team is back?" Kathryn didn't need to answer. The look in her eyes spoke volumes.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I wish I could tell you, because there's nothing I want more than to have all of my crew back on this starship." Letting out a sigh, B'Elanna pinched the bridge of her nose and slouched back against the back of the couch.

"Great," she muttered. "Look, Captain, can I speak freely?"

"Of course." Kathryn always encouraged open communication with her crew. How else was she supposed to know what they were thinking? Any Captain who didn't listen to his or her crew's opinions was a fool.

"I don't know why we didn't stay in orbit around the planet while the away team went down, especially if we can't communicate with them. How do we know everything's alright?"

"B'Elanna, we had a very important meeting with the Ylaz people to get dilithium, and you know that. Do you doubt the away team's ability on this mission?" Had then been able to, Kathryn would have kept _Voyager_ in orbit around the planet without a second thought, but their energy supply had been getting low, so they had to leave them behind. She hadn't been overly worried, she had sent four of her best people on that mission, which was why she was worried now.

"No," B'Elanna spluttered. "I just have this feeling, deep down inside, that something is wrong. I can't explain it." She sighed with frustration. "I must sound ridiculous. Of course they're fine. What am I thinking?" Kathryn put a reassuring hand on her knee.

"You're exhausted and worried about Tom." Her voice shifted from that of a Captain to that of a maternal figure. "It's understandable. You've been working long shifts and then coming back to Miral to take care of her all night. It's enough to make anyone feel exhausted and a bit paranoid. What can I do to help you relax a little?"

"There's nothing you can do," B'Elanna snapped. Miral began to whine underneath the receiving blanket, prompting her mother to pull her out and hold her against her shoulder while gently bouncing her up and down in an attempt to stop the crying. It didn't work. Miral continued to cry. Suddenly, an idea dawned on Kathryn. It wasn't much, but it might give B'Elanna the break she so obviously needed.

"Let me take Miral for the night," she offered. B'Elanna did a double take as she continued to bounce Miral up and down until her crying receded to whimpers for attention.

"Excuse me?" She was so sleep deprived that she wasn't sure she heard the Captain correctly. It was an absolutely ludicrous suggestion.

"I'll take Miral for the night. You obviously need a break, and I'm offering you one." B'Elanna looked skeptical. It was an incredibly gracious offer, but she had no idea if this would really help.

"You're offering to take my kid for the night." The more B'Elanna repeated the suggestion, the more ridiculous it sounded to Kathryn, but she wouldn't rescind her offer. "No offense, Captain, but do you know how to take care of a baby?"

"Of course I do," Kathryn assured. "When I was a teenager, I babysat all the time, my parents thought that it would teach me responsibility. I almost never had a free weekend, I was always working. It may have been a while, but it's all instinct." B'Elanna still looked hesitant. It seemed almost too good to be true. This wasn't a normal offer from a captain, but, then again, Kathryn Janeway was hardly a normal captain. It was typical for her to go out of her way to ensure the comfort and safety of her crew.

"You do realize that she wake up every hour or two, right?"

"I don't get much sleep anyway," Kathryn said with a laugh. "You, however, look like you're about to fall over from exhaustion." She leaned forward eagerly. "'Lanna, what good will you be to your daughter if you're too tired to function?" B'Elanna knew she couldn't argue with that logic. She was at her wit's end right now, and it would most likely get worse before it got better.

"Fine," she relented with a disgruntled sigh. "But only for tonight. The last thing I need is for the crew to think that I can't take care of my daughter by myself."

"I can assure you, nobody will think that." Kathryn stretched out her arms and plucked Miral out of her mother's arms. "Now, why don't you pack Miral's bag while I get started with my new job?" B'Elanna's gaze lingered on her daughter for a few seconds before she pushed herself to her feet and started flitting around her quarters while trying to anticipate what her daughter would need during her overnight with the Captain.

While B'Elanna packed Miral's bag, Kathryn rocked the infant back and forth in her arms. She tapped Miral playfully up on the nose, who looked up at her with her large, brown eyes. She had her mother's eyes, along with her mother's temperament. With any hope, she would also adopt some of Tom's easy going personality as she got older; one could only hope. If not, Tom was definitely going to be in for a long and difficult life trying to navigate two fiery, Klingon women living in such close quarters.

Bag in hand, B'Elanna appeared in front of Kathryn. At her feet sat Miral's baby carrier, which would have to serve as her crib for the night as well, as she couldn't exactly send the entire crib down to the Captain's quarters with her. One night in her carrier wouldn't kill her, she fell asleep in it on a daily basis anyway. B'Elanna still looked uneasy about the arrangement, but she was also desperate for a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Careful of the infant in her arms, Kathryn got to her feet. B'Elanna lightly trailed her fingers over her daughter's feathersoft tufts of hair.

"Now, if she starts to cry, she likes to be bounced up and down," she explained. "And sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night just to be held. If that's the case, she'll usually fall asleep after about ten or fifteen minutes. I packed about half a dozen bottles-"

"I'm only taking her overnight, B'Elanna," Kathryn said with a laugh.

"I don't want her to get hungry. There's also diapers and some of her favorite toys, and an extra blanket. If she's too much to handle, you can always bring her back to me. You don't need to keep her all night, just a few hours."

"I assure you, B'Elanna, if I can handle this crew, then I can handle your daughter for the night." She gave B'Elanna's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I want you to focus on you right now. Get some sleep. Tom will be back in a day or two." B'Elanna continued to stroke Miral's hair and planted a loving kiss on her forehead.

"Be good for the Captain, sweetheart, and don't scare her off," she cooed tenderly. "We could use all the babysitters we can get on _Voyager_." Unable to resist, she kissed her forehead once again. Kathryn didn't say anything. She understood that this was incredibly difficult for B'Elanna. As exhausted as the engineer was, this was also the first time since Miral's birth that she was going to be away from her overnight. It would be stressful for any mother, but the situation was exacerbated by the fact that Tom was still gone. Realizing that she better let the Captain leave, B'Elanna took a step back and wrapped her arms around her waist anxiously. Kathryn swung the bag over her shoulder. It felt like B'Elanna packed enough to last a few weeks, not one night. She held the infant in one arm and the baby carrier in her free hand.

As Kathryn walked down the corridor to her quarters, she got strange glances from every crew member she passed. She ignored their confused looks; she was captain of this starship, she didn't have to explain herself to anyone. If she wanted to take care of a crewman's child for the night, then she could do so without explaining herself to anyone; this was her choice. In the academy, she was taught to distance herself from her crew, but over the years, she's found that that is the least effective way of running _Voyager_ , given the nature of its current situation. Her crew needed to know that they could come to her and that she would be willing to do anything necessary to help support them, even go so far as to play babysitter for the night.

The second Kathryn entered her quarters, Miral began to whimper. The doors automatically slid closed behind the duo. Awkwardly bouncing Miral as she walked across her quarter, Kathryn deposited the bag and baby carrier on the nearest chair.

"I know, you're in a strange place," Kathryn cooed. "I promise, I'm not as scary as the crew may say." Miral nuzzled the Captain's breast, causing her to laugh. "Sorry to disappoint you, but you're not going to find anything you want there." She carefully maneuvered Miral so she was resting comfortably against her shoulder. Miral whimpered in protest as she was moved. "We'll have fun tonight. Well, as much fun as a three month old can have." The whimpering immediately stopped. "There you go," Kathryn said with a smile. "Let's get you settled." As gently as possible, she lowered Miral down into her carrier.

Kathryn had forgotten how much stuff babies have. B'Elanna had been incredibly thorough in packing for Miral's little sleepover. She unpacked the bottles, carefully lining them up on the table, ready at a moment's notice in case Miral decided she was hungry again. She then grabbed a blanket out of the bag and carefully tucked it around Miral. Hopefully the familiar scent would keep her calm as she drifted off to sleep. Satisfied that Miral was properly settled for the time being, Kathryn retreated to her bedroom where she shed her outer uniform tunic and longsleeved undershirt, revealing a tank top. She put the dirty uniform in the closet and returned to the main room, where she found Miral dozing peacefully. She smiled at the infant before picking up her PADD and attempting to get some work done.

Tuvok walked briskly down the corridor towards his own quarters. As he passed by the Captain's quarters, however, he slowed to a stop when he heard crying. He instinctively pulled out his phaser and stopped to investigate. For a split second, he debated if he should barge into the Captain's quarters unannounced or ring the doorbell. Ultimately, he decided to ring the bell, just to err on the side of caution, as it didn't sound like the Captain making the noise.

"Come in." The Captain sounded fine as the crying continued. Tuvok entered the Captain's quarters and immediately stopped short. Kathryn paced the length of her quarters while trying to feed Miral a bottle. "I know, it's not the same as what you're used to, but it's all I've got right now." The infant continued to wail in defiant protest. Kathryn glanced up and looked almost relieved when she saw Tuvok. "Mr. Tuvok, what can I do for you?" she inquired over the noise.

"I heard crying and wanted to see if you were injured."

"I'm fine," Kathryn assured. "As soon as I get Miral to stop crying."

"Is there something wrong with Lieutenant Torres that has rendered her unable to tend to Miral?" She continued to bounce the infant in her arms and pat her soothingly on the behind.

"No, she's just exhausted, and I'm giving her a break for the night. Unfortunately, I don't think Miral thinks I'm a very good substitute for her mother." Kathryn tried again to feed Miral her bottle, but the child turned her head and continued to cry. Fat tears rolled down her cheek, which was bright red with exertion from all her crying. She pumped her legs against Kathryn's arm as if trying to push her away. It was no wonder B'Elanna was so exhausted, this child had definitely inherited her mother's feisty, stubborn personality.

"Children form a bond with their parents almost instantly. It would be difficult for such a young infant to understand why it is not her mother or father taking care of her."

"No kidding," Kathryn commented dryly.

"Let me assist you." Without waiting for her to agree, Tuvok took Miral and the bottle out of Kathryn's arms and expertly cradled the infant against him. Almost instantly, her crying slowed down a little. With the expertise only a seasoned father would have, he held the bottle to her quivering lips. Miral immediately latched onto the bottom and began gulping hungrily. With an amused smirk across her face, Kathryn crossed her arms and shook her head in disbelief. Confused, Tuvok looked up at her. "Is something, wrong, Captain?"

"No," she assured. "Sometimes I forget that you're a father," she admitted candidly. This was a side of Tuvok she'd never seen before, despite all their years working together. He was always the picture of formality and professionalism, and here he was, feeding Miral as if it was no big deal.

Once Miral was fed and burped, Tuvok returned her to the carrier. Try as she might, her eyes simply couldn't stay open. Her small mouth opened to form an "o" as she snored softly and dozed comfortably. With the crying finally over, Kathryn crossed the room to her replicator.

"Coffee, black," she ordered. Mindful of the fact that Miral was fast asleep, she kept her voice low. It was strange to be mindful of that, she was used to living alone and not having to worry about any noise she made. Once the steaming mug appeared, Kathryn plucked it up and took a long drink as she turned around to face Tuvok. "What's the status on the away team?" she asked. She figured that since she had him here, she might as well get a status update.

"There is still no sign of the away team. We have continued to scan all channels on a rotating basis, but those scans have revealed nothing as well." He made sure to keep his voice low as well.

"So they haven't left the planet yet."

"That would be the logical conclusion." Kathryn pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to think why the away team still hadn't left the planet yet. Nothing immediately came to mind.

"We'll hold our location until 1600 hours then set a course for the planet. On our way, we'll continue to scan on all frequencies for any sign of the away team."

"Aye, Captain." Kathryn glanced over at Miral's sleeping form. She made a silent promise to the infant to find her father and bring him back as quickly and safely as possible. If only she could figure out what was going on that was causing the usually punctual away team to be so delayed.

 **Author's Note:** I hope you liked chapter 15. Make sure to leave a review and check out my other Chakotay/Seven fic: Adjustment Period.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Tom had no recollection of dozing off. One minute he was laying down and taking a break from watching over the small camp, and next thing he knew, the sun was up, and the stifling heat was already starting to set in. Surprised by his recklessness, he immediately sat up and stretched, his joints popping loudly as they adjusted appropriately. He should have been more careful, it had been his job to watch over the camp, to make sure everything went according to plan. He was lucky nothing went wrong while he slept. Next to him, Aritlin was fast asleep, curled up in a small ball a few feet away. At least he hadn't escaped in the middle of the night. It was one good thing that had happened. As Tom got to his feet, he realized that Chakotay was kneeling next to Seven. He could tell from the First Officer's body language that something was wrong. Temporarily forgetting about getting his day started, he immediately rushed to his side.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Her body is starting to reject her implants," Chakotay replied. Despite the fact that he had managed to sleep for a few hours throughout the night, he still looked like hell. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he had a ragged appearance that was made worse by the fact that he desperately needed to shave. When all of that was paired with the way his eyes darted back and forth over Seven's unconscious form, it unsettled Tom.

"How can you tell?" Chakotay gently turned Seven's head. Her flushed skin had cracked open along her cheek, revealing the shiny metal implant beneath the ragged slice. A thick, black liquid that he knew to be her blood mixed with nanoprobes lined the flesh, giving it a grotesque appearance. Unable to resist, Tom lightly ran his fingers over the wound.

"My God," he gasped. "This is bad. We need to get out of here. Regeneration is only part of the problem. There's damage to her body now." Chakotay pinched the bridge of his nose as Tom's words sank in. Unfortunately, he wasn't saying anything he didn't already know. Every moment they were stuck here, the worse Seven's condition got and the closer she got to being permanently damaged. Although he'd never admit it aloud, he started to fear that this away mission would destroy her. Concern about Seven made it difficult for Chakotay to come up with a plan, but he was still in charge of this away mission and needed to be able to think straight.

"I want you and Harry to find a way to get in touch with _Voyager_." His voice was low and strained as he struggled to wrap his mind around the stressful situation. "There has to be some way to bypass the interference in the atmosphere to get at least part of a message to them. We're supposed to rendezvous with them at 1400 hours, so they won't be looking for us for a few more days." It was a sobering thought. Both of them doubted Seven would last that long. Neither of the would go so far as to admit that though; they had to hold on to some hope. It may not be the best plan in the world, but it was better than nothing.

From across the camp, Harry watched Tom and Chakotay talk. He didn't need to look at Seven up close to know that she was in critical condition. Despite the fact that he wasn't hungry, he forced himself to take a bite of the strange food Notaxi had prepared for them. It tasted like the fruit they had been eating, only mashed up into some sort of paste and mixed with a mysterious grain. It honestly didn't taste half bad, but Harry simply wasn't that hungry, he was too stressed. It was similar to oatmeal, or as close to oatmeal as you can get in the Delta Quadrant.

Tom appeared over Harry with a grim expression carved into his wary face. They were all starting to feel the pressure of their current situation. In an attempt to help his friend feel better, he held out his bowl of food, which he turned down with a swift shake of his head. Neither were particularly hungry, and there were far more important matters to attend to.

"Chakotay wants us to try to and put out another distress call," Tom explained. Harry didn't say that he'd already tried twice. He knew Chakotay was grasping at straws at this point, and he would follow any orders the First Officer gave if it meant potentially helping Seven.

"Okay," he agreed as he discarded his food and got to his feet. A fine layer of sweat was already starting to form along the back of his neck. "We need to find a way to bypass the interference in the atmosphere." They began to walk towards the shuttle. "Then we need to find a way to bolster the signal so it'll reach _Voyager_. The comm system on the shuttle isn't strong enough to reach _Voyager_ on its own."

"Well it's a good thing we have Starfleet's best operations officer here to help." Tom forced himself to sound cheerful as he clapped Harry on the back. Harry sighed. He hoped he would be able to live up to the pressure being put on him by Chakotay and Tom. He kept his pessimism to himself though. Like Tom, he needed to force himself to be cheerful, no matter how difficult the situation may be.

Chakotay hovered over Seven. He kept himself busy by gently wiping her creased brow with a cool cloth and attempting to get her to drink some water. Matters would be made worse if she got dehydrated. Mindful of the open wounds across her cheek and the new ones shoulder, he gently brushed her hair back from her face and stroked her cheek. Mentally, he berated himself for not arguing more with the Captain about Seven coming on this away mission in the first place; he should have made a bigger deal about not allowing Seven to come, he should have told her about their relationship and pointed out that it was a direct violation of Starfleet protocols. There was no reason for Seven to be on this away mission in the first place, she had nothing to offer a relief mission. Every other member of the away team had a purpose for being here, but there was no reason for her to have come. Had he brought that up to Kathryn, perhaps Seven would be back on _Voyager_. Yes, they would have been inconvenienced being stuck here, but the situation wouldn't be nearly as dire. Logically, Chakotay told himself that there was no way for them to know that it would come to this, but he still blamed himself completely. He should have spoken up to Kathryn, he'd never been fearful to do so in the past, so why should this have been any different?

A shadow formed across Seven's unconscious form. Chakotay looked up. As soon as he saw Aritlin, his eyes narrowed with anger. While he had no way of knowing if he specifically had taken Seven's mobile regenerator, he still blamed him, as he was the only person he could blame right now.

"What do you want?" he growled. Aritlin crouched down next to him. Chakotay immediately bristled with animosity. His muscles tightened, ready at a moment's notice to spring into action and protect Seven from any further harm as she laid completely prone and helpless in front of him. He wanted nothing to do with this alien, he was the reason Seven was like this. Suddenly, it all hit Chakotay at once. He was completely innocent in all of this, he had absolutely no reason to blame himself for any of this; it was the fault of the Kalrussians. They're the ones who summoned them here under false pretenses and then stole all their supplies, including Seven's mobile regenerator. They were the reason Seven was in her current condition, they were the reason she was suffering.

"I wanted to see how your friend is doing," Aritlin explained. His voice was weak, almost pathetic. Everything about him was meek and easily forgettable, hardly the type of being who could pull off such a coldhearted stunt. Despite that, Chakotay still blamed him entirely.

"She's dying," Chakotay explained. His voice was was ice cold and distant, not only from duress over Seven's condition but also because the last thing he wanted to do was talk to him. "Her body is rejecting her implants, she's had a fever for the past few days." He looked at the alien. "She's not going to make it if we don't get her mobile regenerator back." Aritlin's eyes shifted back and forth uncomfortably, refusing to look him in the eye. Chakotay assumed it was because he was uncomfortable with the current situation and facing the harm he had inadvertently caused Seven.

"I'm sorry," Aritlin whispered. As much as it went against everything he believed in, Chakotay refused to accept the apology. He always tried to find the best in people, but when he had Seven in front of him, literally dying in his arms, he found that he simply couldn't do it. He blamed the Kalrussians entirely for what had happened and refused to think otherwise.

Seven's eyes opened slightly and her hand instinctively fluttered to Chakotay's. Her fingers felt like small flames dancing across his flesh. Despite the fact that she was burning up, she started to violently shiver. He immediately stopped wiping her forehead with the cool cloth provided by Henan.

"Chakotay," she whispered in a barely audible whisper. Her lips hardly moved as she spoke, making it difficult to understand her. Her eyes flitted over to Aritlin. Once she realized that she didn't recognize the stranger, she looked confused. "Who...who is that?"

"He's nobody, _muñeca_ ," Chakotay replied. For a moment, he glared at the alien out of the corner of his eyes. Aritlin could take a hint. Wordlessly, he excused himself and crossed the camp. Even from a distance, he kept his eyes firmly locked on the couple, although Chakotay's broad back blocked his view. He was starting to feel concerned for the strange woman, which was only made worse by the fact that he knew it was partially his fault that she was suffering this much. "How are you feeling?" It seemed like a ridiculous question. Anyone with eyes could see that she was in failing health, and she would continue to deteriorate until she got back her mobile regenerator. Hopefully then they could at least stabilize her current condition until _Voyager_ arrived to rescue them.

"Dizzy," Seven replied. "Cold." Chakotay glanced at the sleeping bag, which was discarded on the other end of the camp. He knew he couldn't cover her with it, "So cold." Her body temperature was dangerously high, they had to find a way to bring it down, which wouldn't happen if she was covered with the thick sleeping bag. "I know, we're working on getting your mobile regenerator back. All you have to do is rest and let me take care of you." She nodded. "Just a few more hours, _muñeca_ , and then you'll be able to regenerate, and all of this will be nothing more than a distant memory." Seven slid her hand into his, prompting him to give it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"A few more hours," she repeated weakly as exhaustion claimed her once again. It wasn't lost on Chakotay that she was awake less and less now, and when she was awake, she could barely move or string together a coherent thought. He hoped the Kalrussians would hurry with her mobile regenerator, he hated seeing Seven like this, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it together.

The metal hull of the shuttle served as an oven of sorts, literally baking Tom and Harry alive as they worked. Both men had already shed their outer uniforms and grey undershirts, leaving them in short sleeve t-shirts that clung to their sweaty torsos. Harry muttered under his breath as he worked sprawled on his back under the helm. A few feet away, Tom stood at a console working just as dutifully and doing his best to ignore the unimaginable heat. It had to be at least forty five degrees Celsius in here.

"Have you tried rerouting all power to the comm system?" Tom asked.

"Did that a few days ago," Harry replied. His voice was muffled and strained from his current position. "Still nothing." Suddenly, an idea hit him. Eyes bright with anticipation and excitement, he scrambled out from under the console and got to his feet. "What if we created a pulse?" he suggested. "We could use the energy from the core, and it could dissipate the interference just long enough to get our message through to _Voyager_." Tom carefully thought about the suggestion. That was assuming _Voyager_ was within communication range, which was unlikely. The starship was probably approaching the rendezvous point as they spoke. On the other hand, it was also the only idea they had right now, so he couldn't exactly say no. They couldn't just sit around and wait for _Voyager_ to show up, they had to be proactive.

"Let's do it," he agreed. "How do we get started?" Wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, Harry carefully thought about how to get started. They would have to do this without the use of any tools, but it could be done, albeit with a little bit more work.

As Chakotay paced the camp nervously, trying to think of what he could do for Seven to make her more comfortable, he saw a cloud of dust appearing in the distance, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. With the exception of those at the small camp and his interaction with the Kalrussions yesterday, that was the first sign he'd seen of other life forms. His hand instinctively flew to the phaser holstered on his hip, ready at a moment's notice to whip it out and protect them.

"That's my shuttle," Aritlin explained as he materialized at Chakotay's side. Relief washed over the First Officer. Not only were they safe, well safe as could be expected, but Seven was going to get back her mobile regenerator. They weren't out of the woods yet, but it was a step in the right direction. Feeling conflicted, Chakotay glanced back at Seven, who appeared to be sleeping as peacefully as possible given her current condition. He knew he had to go meet Syachu, but Tom and Harry were still at the shuttle, which meant he would have to leave Seven with Henan and Notaxi. He trusted the Ighanians, but he wasn't sure he trusted them enough to leave her alone with them in such a vulnerable condition. All Henan and Notaxi had to do was look at Chakotay to see the turmoil going on within him.

"Go," Notaxi assured. "She'll be fine while you're gone. We'll keep an eye on her." He still felt torn. He knew he needed to rendezvous with the Kalrussions, but he also knew he had a duty to Seven and needed to keep her safe, not only because of their romantic relationship but because she was a member of his crew.

"What if she needs me?" he asked. He sounded unsure and skeptical. It felt strange to him that he didn't know what to do. Usually he took command of any situation from the beginning. Now, he was torn between performing his duty and taking care of Seven.

"Then we'll be here," Henan replied. "You're not going to get her mobile regenerator back standing here. Take Aritlin and go. She probably won't even realize that you're gone." Chakotay knew he was right. He needed to go, even if he didn't want to. Sighing, he knelt down next to Seven and took her hand in his. It was limp and damp from the fever raging within her. He gave it a gentle squeeze before carefully resting it across her stomach. She didn't even twitch. Henan was right, she wasn't even going to notice that he was gone. With Aritlin in tow, Chakotay left the camp, stalking across the desert with newfound determination and hope that caused him to hold his head high.

As he crossed the desert, Chakotay kept his eyes firmly locked on the shuttle. Inside there was the one thing that could save Seven right now, and he was determined to get his hands on it. He needed to do something to save her. Artilin felt uncomfortable as he walked alongside the First Officer. Now that he'd seen the damage his people could do to others, he was fully prepared to bring that newfound knowledge back to his people and try to come up with other ways of survival; plenty of other species survived without pillaging and deception, so they should be able to do so as well.

"I want to apologize," Aritlin finally blurted out, slicing into the uneasy silence that had settled over them. Chakotay's gaze immediately hardened as he glanced over at the alien out of the corner of his eyes. He didn't engage the Kalrussian in conversation, but that didn't stop him from continuing. "I had no idea that our actions had such horrible consequences."

Unable to keep his comments to himself anymore, Chakotay snapped, "Well what did you think would happen? What I don't get is why you lure people here under false pretenses and rob them blind when they're here to help you. Almost everything you took off our shuttle was for you anyway. You didn't have to steal from us, we came here to offer you assistance."

"It's the only way my people can survive," Aritlin defended pathetically, although now he was starting to have his doubts about his people's way of life. "Look around, there's nothing here. We've been doing this for generations, it's the only way we know." He briefly glanced over his shoulder towards the camp where he knew Seven was resting. "Clearly we need to change how we do things." He sounded genuinely crestfallen and remorseful for his actions, but Chakotay remained stoic and unmoved. Now that he'd seen firsthand how his people's actions could have such negative consequences, he wasn't sure if this was the right way to live.

Inside the shuttle, the thick metal walls prevented noise from penetrating inside, so Tom and Harry didn't hear the Kalrussian shuttle until it landed practically on their doorstep. As soon as they realized what was going on, both men quickly abandoned their work and exited the shuttle warily. They were both unarmed, which meant they were vulnerable to any attacks from the pillaging alien race, but that didn't mean they were unprepared to put up a fight if necessary, not that they wanted it to come to that. The faintest hint of a breeze whispered across the desert, providing the briefest reprieve from the sweltering heat. It wasn't much, but after being inside the oven that was the shuttle, it felt heavenly to both Tom and Harry.

"There's Chakotay," Harry pointed out as he nodded in the distance. Chakotay and Aritlin were roughly a hundred and fifty meters away. Both men felt slightly better knowing that the First Officer was on his way, as he was the one with the phaser.

Flanked by two other Kalrussians, Syachu exited the shuttle. Tom's eyes immediately landed on the weapons holstered at their hips; they hadn't been armed yesterday. He glanced over at Harry. The ensign's expression said that he saw the weapons as well and felt uneasy about the new development. Both men tensed, ready at a moment's notice to spring into action if necessary. They may be outgunned, but they could put up one hell of a fight if necessary. So far, the mobile regenerator wasn't anywhere in sight, which added to the stress. As the senior-most officer present at the moment, Tom decided to take charge of the situation, at least for the next few seconds until Chakotay appeared.

Never one to beat around the bush, he asked, "Where's the mobile regenerator?"

"Not so fast, where's Aritlin?" Syachu demanded.

"He's right here," Chakotay called from a distance. "Safe and sound, as promised. Now give us the mobile regenerator, and we can all put this behind us." The duo came to a stop a few meters between the Kalrussians and Tom and Harry, forming a triangle of tension. Syachu turned to one of his peers and gave a quick, curt nod, prompting her to return to the confines of the shuttle. Chakotay's heart pounded nervously in his chest. This situation could go one of two ways: either they could bring out the mobile regenerator, putting an end to this standoff peacefully, or they could open fire on them, putting an end to the standoff violently. There was no way to be certain what would happen next. Each second seemed to stretch on for an eternity as they waited anxiously for the Kalrussian to reappear. Chakotay's fingers brushed against the phaser in its holster, ready to arm himself if necessary as his heart pounded anxiously in his chest.

Finally, the Kalrussian reappeared with the mobile regenerator in her hands. When Chakotay stayed rooted in his spot, Harry stepped forward cautiously to retrieve the device. He glared at the Kalrussians as he approached them and snatched the mobile regenerator from them. As soon as it was in his hands, something felt wrong. He'd worked with mobile regenerators many times over the years, and this one felt lighter than usual. He immediately crouched down on the ground and opened the device up.

"What are you doing?" Syachu demanded angrily. He couldn't believe that they didn't trust him. His people may steal from others, but they still kept their word, especially when the safety of their people were on the line. All Harry had to do was glance at the inside to know that something was incredibly wrong.

"This has been gutted for parts," he announced incredulously. Chakotay glared at the Kalrussians. His typically kind brown eyes were full of hatred and contempt. This wasn't what they had agreed to.

"What the hell did you do?" he growled. Anger boiled up inside of him. They had been played. All he had to do was look at the condescending look on Syachu's and know that the Kalrussian had known from the very beginning that the mobile regenerator had been scrapped for parts, but he conveniently left that out of their negotiations.

"By the time we got back to our settlement, the device had already been scrapped for parts. We tried to recover what we could. I'm sorry." Syachu's voice was calculated and smug. There was no remorse in his voice at all. If anything, he looked pleased that he had pulled one over on all three men. Jaw clenched and glowering with pure anger, Chakotay took a step towards Syachu. Tom saw the First Officer's fist clenched at his side and feared that he would take a swing at him. Everyone knew that Chakotay was accomplished in boxing and hand to hand combat, so all it would take was one punch to knock Syachu to the ground and send this entire transaction into chaos.

"Commander," he interjected boldly in an attempt to defray the situation. "We'll make it work. Harry's familiar with the technology, he can fix it." Tom sounded oddly optimistic. He knew that it was a longshot, but a physical altercation of any type would only make matters worse. They had the mobile regenerator, they could make it work...somehow. Unprepared to be brought into the conversation, Harry's head jerked up in surprise. He still hadn't found a way to send out a pulse to interrupt the interference in the atmosphere to get out a distress call, and now he had to figure out how to fix the mobile regenerator as well. It was a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

"We kept our end of the bargain," Syachu announced. "Give us back Aritlin." Chakotay's head whipped around to look at Aritlin. His mind quickly analyzed all possible scenarios. Between the three of them, they had one phaser; there was no way they could fight their way out of this one. They would have to keep up their end of the bargain and hope Harry would be able to fix the mobile regenerator, despite the fact that they didn't have any supplies.

"Go," he snapped as he motioned for Aritlin to leave. The Kalrussian didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled away from the First Officer and onto his people's shuttle, instantly disappearing inside. Once Aritlin was safely inside, the three remaining Kalrussians turned on their heels and left without a word. With his eyes locked on the shuttle, Chakotay stood next to Tom and Harry.

"What now, Commander?" Harry asked. He shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know," he admitted softly. It was the truth. He honestly had no idea what to do next. He thought that getting the mobile regenerator back would solve many of their problems, but now it only seemed to make matters worse. Now, they had to find a way to get in contact with _Voyager_ , keep Seven alive and repair her mobile regenerator, all without even the most basic of supplies. They'd come here to offer aid, but now they were the ones in need of rescuing.

 _The familiar ethereal green glow was the first sign that Seven was no longer on_ _Voyager_ _. Once her eyes adjusted to her environment and the lighting, she knew exactly where she was. The exposed wires and conduits and constant whir of machinery were dead giveaways. She was on a Borg Cube. Seven's heart pounded anxiously in her chest. She looked down at herself. Her usual implants stretched across her hand and wrist. Her human hand flew to her face, lightly grazing over her implant above her eye and the starburst next to her ear. Her fingers trailed over her hair. She wasn't assimilated, which was a good sign, but it didn't make her feel any better about her current situation. None of this made any sense; the first thing the Borg would have done was reapply all her implants and bring her right back into the fold that was the Collective. It was inefficient to leave her on the Cube like this, she couldn't communicate with the hive mind and was unable to complete her duty effective as a drone, not that she ever wanted to do that again._

 _Confused, Seven began to explore. There had to be some sort of logical reason behind this._ _Voyager_ _had managed to avoid any contact with the Borg for nearly a year, they'd purposefully given them a wide berth after the chaos that was Unimatrix Zero. She would have remembered a Borg attack; it was something nobody could forget. Instinctively, she reached for a tricorder, but none appeared on her waist. That didn't make any sense either. She always tried to keep one with her, during away missions just in case. Something was definitely wrong here._

 _As Seven continued to explore, she found that there weren't any drones anywhere in the Cube. Once again, that made no sense. A Cube wouldn't simply be abandoned. The Borg would have destroyed vessel if it was inoperable or returned shortly after its decommissioning and retrieved whatever technology they could still use. The Borg never just left their Cubes floating in space for anyone to come across, it would allow their enemies to discover their weaknesses and potentially destroy them. In the distance, she saw a collection of regeneration alcoves. They were all activated, indicating that drones were regenerating, indicating she wasn't alone like she originally thought. Drones didn't all regenerate at one time, it was highly inefficient and left the Cube prone to attacks from others. This went against everything the Borg practiced. Against her better judgement, Seven decided to investigate further. She would have to risk getting close to the drones to figure out what was going on here. Carefully, she skirted the exposed machinery and maneuvered the tight corridors. As obsessed with efficiency as the Borg were, the Cubes weren't always designed for optimal movement. They could learn from_ _Voyager_ _and make the corridors wider, allowing for easier foot traffic._

 _When she got close enough to the alcoves to see who was in them, a look of shock and horror flashed across Seven's face. The first alcove housed B'Elanna Torres. Borg implants snaked across her flesh, marring her translucent flesh, but there was no denying that it was her, her distinct forehead ridges and mole on her cheek gave it away. Horrified, Seven moved on to the next alcove where Harry Kim regenerated. The harsh Borg implants looked out of place against his peaceful, baby face. Seven's heart pounded in her chest as she continued her way down the line of alcoves, revealing all her friends from_ _Voyager_ _, including Neelix. No, Neelix was gone, he wasn't on_ _Voyager_ _anymore, why would he be here? The Borg had to have gone out of its way to capture him. They were doing this on purpose, they were trying to find everyone close to her and assimilate them. They were punishing her for leaving the Collective and for her work in Unimatrix Zero. When Seven got to the end of the row of alcoves, she let out a cry of despair. Her voice echoed off the hollow walls of the Cube, making her voice seem louder than it actually was._

" _Chakotay," she wailed. His skin was hauntingly pale instead of its usual warm bronze. His hair, which she loved so much (although she'd never actually taken the time to tell him that), was gone, making him look far older than he actually was. Unfortunately, there was no denying that it was him. His distinct tattoo poked out from his optical implant, telling her that her worst fear had come to fruition, the Borg had finally managed to take everyone she cared about._

 _Unable to resist, Seven reached out to touch Chakotay's cheek. She needed to feel him to know that what she was experiencing was real, not some sort of twisted nightmare. The moment her fingers brushed against his ice cold skin, his eyes flew open. Caught off guard, she stumbled backwards in terror. All of the drones' eyes had opened simultaneously and were fixated on her._

" _Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One, prepare to be assimilated." The crew's voice spoke in perfect unison, yet Seven could still make out slight variations of each person's voice that made them unique. It was a flaw in the Borg's assimilation process that would be rectified immediately as it represented imperfection and individuality. "Resistance is futile."_

" _No, this isn't happening," Seven stammered desperately. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I am a unique individual." The drones broke free of their alcoves and surrounded her, pressing in from all directions, leaving her nowhere to run. "You are all unique individuals."  
_ " _Resistance is futile," they repeated as they closed ranks around her. Their shoulders pressed against each other, forming an impenetrable circle. She was trapped._

" _No!"_

" _Resistance is futile."_

Letting out an unearthly crying and flailing her arms in desperation and fear, Seven's eyes flew open. In an attempt to take in her surroundings, her head whipped back and forth. Her hands reached out, groping helplessly for Chakotay, searching for some sort of comfort to know that he was alright and not a part of the Borg Collective.

"Chakotay!" she screamed. It was the loudest and strongest her voice had sounded since they got her out of the caves. Henan flew to her side. He may not be Chakotay, but he was the best she was going to get. "Chakotay," she sobbed.

"Chakotay will be right back," Henan assured as he gently dabbed her forehead with a cool, damp cloth. Sweat covered every inch of her, leaving her drenched from head to toe. Her gaze settled on Henan and a sudden realization washed over her.

"Who...who are you?" Her voice came out in short, airy gasps as exhaustion slowly started to consume her once again.

"I'm a friend," Henan replied as he continued to attempt to cool her down, although he could feel her temperature spiking once again. It didn't bother him that he'd had a brief conversation with Seven before, and she had no recollection of it. This was obviously an incredibly sick woman, he shouldn't be at all surprised. "I'm keeping an eye on you until Chakotay returns. He should be back soon."

"You're Species 9937. The Borg have assimilated approximately a million of your species. You...you are known for being intellectually superior and cunning. You are also…" Henan had had enough of this conversation. He snatched up a mixture of the concoction he'd created to help Seven with her fever and pressed it to her lips.

"You're delirious. Drink this." His voice was surprisingly forceful. Much of the liquid ended up dribbling down her chin, but enough got into her mouth to hopefully do its job. Seven nodded. Her glazed over eyes continued to move back and forth quickly as if trying to take in her surroundings. Once he was done pouring the liquid into her mouth, Henan continued to dab her forehead with the cloth dutifully while he waited for Chakotay to return with whatever it was she needed to get better..

Grim faced and still feeling conflicted about the news from Aritlin, Chakotay returned to the camp with the mobile regenerator in hand. Henan, who had been sitting vigil at Seven's side, immediately rose to his feet.

"You got what you need," he observed cheerfully. He had only been focused on the mobile regenerator, not Chakotay's expression. Had he been paying closer attention, he would have seen that the situation was still dire.

"They gutted it for parts," the First Officer explained grimly. "It's useless now." Henan's face fell as well. He glanced over at Notaxi, who looked equally crestfallen at the news. Although they'd only been with the strangers for a little while, they had become emotionally invested in their saga. Not only did they want to see their new friends rescued, but they wanted to know that Seven was going to be alright.

"Is there anything you can do?" Notaxi asked hopefully. Chakotay shook his head.

"I don't think so," he admitted. "Harry and Tom are working on the distress call, then they're going to look at the mobile regenerator. Without any tools, though, it's basically pointless. All we can do is wait." Unsure what else to do, Notaxi put a supporting hand on Chakotay's shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He sounded genuine and sincere, although there was nothing for him to apologize about. He wasn't the one who did this to them, it was the Kalrussians' fault. Chakotay put the blame squarely on their shoulders and nobody else's. Had they not been tricked into coming here, they would all be safe on _Voyager_ and on their way back to the Alpha Quadrant.

Rather than feel sorry for himself, Chakotay knew that he had to take charge of the situation. His attention turned to Seven, who was still asleep. She was always asleep now. He cracked a small, fleeting smile at the observation. Had she been fine, she would find this a horribly inefficient use of time; she hated just sitting around and doing nothing, althought that was his favorite thing to do with her, just enjoy each other's company. He knelt down next to her and stroked her cheek affectionately.

"I'm sorry, _muñeca_ ," he murmured. She didn't move. It was eery how still she was. If Chakotay didn't see the gentle rise and fall of her chest, he wouldn't believe she was still alive. Her skin was almost translucent as it stretched across her bones, which stuck out at hard angles. She was beginning to waste away. Henan knelt down next to him.

"She woke up about twenty minutes ago," he informed him. "It seemed like she had a bad dream of some sort."  
"Did she say anything else?" Henan's mind immediately drifted back to the uncomfortable conversation and the information Seven had bestowed upon him. He wanted nothing more than to forget that the conversation had ever happened.

"Just some babble," he lied. It unnerved him at how easily he could lie about this. He felt no remorse for the lie, and he didn't think he should. He wasn't keeping anything from Chakotay about Seven's condition. "I gave her some more medicine to help with her fever and tried to make her as comfortable as possible, but her fever won't break." Chakotay shook his head.

"It's not going to break. Not until she can regenerate at least." He stroked her hair tenderly. Even that was starting to lose its usual shine and luster as it hung limply around her face. Although he fully blamed the Kalrussians for her condition, he couldn't help but feel guilty himself. He should have been able to do something to prevent this from happening.

Back in the shuttle, Harry threw himself down on one of the chairs and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. They'd been at this for hours and were no closer to figuring out how to set off the pulse and get their distress call to _Voyager_.

"Look, Harry, let's head back to camp," Tom suggested as he put a supporting hand on his best friend's shoulder. "We'll take a look at the mobile regenerator together."

"I'm not sure I can fix that either," Harry grumbled bitterly. "It's missing crucial parts. It's as worthless as the flyer now."

"Well, we have to try." It felt strange to Tom to be the optimistic one, that was usually Harry's job while he complained and made whitty remarks. "Come on, let's go." He tilted his head towards the open rear of the shuttle as if that would be enough to get Harry on his feet and back to camp. The ensign shook his head.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," he stated. He wasn't ready to give up just yet. Tom sighed. "Just five more minutes. I want to send out one more distress call." It was a longshot, but Harry knew he had to at least try. Without the pulse, there was almost no way for the message to leave the atmosphere, but it was the very least he could do. He couldn't in good consciousness leave this shuttle without doing at least something to help, even if it was something as simple as sending out yet another pointless distress call. He figured that they more he got out there, the more likely _Voyager_ would hear one of them.

When Tom returned to the camp, he could see in Chakotay's eyes how stressed he was. It looked like he was dropping weight, and fast. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time he saw the First Officer eat anything more than a few bites of food before turning his attention on Seven. He needed to take better care of himself if he was going to get them out of this.

"Where's Harry?" Chakotay asked.

"He's sending out one more distress call," Tom replied as he crouched down to check on Seven. Her condition was unchanged. While that was incredibly frustrating since she wasn't getting any better, it was also a good sign because it meant that she wasn't getting any worse. She was perpetually in a feverish state and would remain like that until they either got her mobile regenerator working or until _Voyager_ finally came to rescue them. "We don't know if _Voyager_ will get it, but we gotta try." He instinctively checked Seven's pulse as he talked. It was weak but still there. She shivered against his touch, prompting him to stop. He didn't want to cause her any more discomfort than she was already experiencing. Out of instinct, Chakotay glanced up at the sky, although he knew that he wouldn't be able to figure out the time on this planet based on the position of the sun, it always varied from planet to planet. He would have to go with his gut and estimate the time.

"If I'm correct about the time, we should be rendezvousing with _Voyager_ right about now," he observed. "Kathryn will probably wait about a day for us to show up before coming to look for us. At maximum warp, it'll still take about 18 hours to get to us." The name slip up wasn't lost on either man. Chakotay immediately mentally chastised himself for being so careless. He tried to make sure to never refer to the Captain by her first name in front of the rest of the crew, it was highly unprofessional. None of the other crew on _Voyager_ referred to her by her first name, it was either "Captain" or "Janeway", although the latter was used amongst the crew and never to her face. Tom didn't say anything about the mistake. He knew Chakotay was under a lot of pressure. Just one look at the man told him how sleep deprived he was. It was amazing that he could put together a coherent sentence, let alone come up with some sort of plan to keep them all safe and get them back to _Voyager_ in one piece.

"Do you think Seven will last that long?" Chakotay glanced down at Seven. Tom could have sworn he saw a few tears spring up in the man's eyes, although he couldn't be certain, and he definitely wasn't going to say anything about it.

"I don't know," he whispered. He sounded defeated. Tom wanted to console him, to say something to him, but he didn't know what to say. He realized that there wasn't anything he could say to take away his pain, only offer his support however he could.

When Harry returned to camp, he didn't give himself any break. Instead, he sat in the cool shadows of the cave with the mobile regenerator in front of him. When he first got his hands on it, he didn't have the time to really take a look at it and see the damage the Kalrussians had done to it. Now, however, he had a chance to really look. While they hadn't completely stripped it of parts, most of its major components were missing, including its power supply and the conduit that connected to Seven to allow her to regenerate. Essentially it wasn't worth the material it was made out of. He sighed. He had no idea how to tell Chakotay, although one look at the First Officer told him that he already knew. The realization made Harry feel worse than he already felt, which he hadn't thought possible. He already felt like a failure for not being able to get a decent distress call out to _Voyager_ , but he was working with nothing and expected to perform miracles. Even the Doctor wouldn't be able to improvise his way out of this one.

Harry's thoughts of self-loathing and failure were interrupted by Chakotay crouching down next to him. Wordlessly, he took the mobile regenerator and began to examine it carefully. He was familiar enough with Seven's technology to be able to recognize what needed to be done, but Harry and B'Elanna were the real experts on Borg technology aboard _Voyager_. Even if he had all the necessary tools, he wasn't as skilled an engineer to repair the damage done to the device. All he knew for sure was that there were major components of the mobile regenerator missing, and without them, Seven's condition would continue to deteriorate.

"Is there anything you can do?" he finally asked.

"I don't think so," Harry admitted. "I originally planned on using some of the gel packs we removed from the shuttle to power the mobile regenerator, but look here." Without waiting for permission, he took the device and motioned towards a gaping hole in its side. "There should be a conduit here that connects to Seven. It's completely missing. Even if I were able to get the mobile regenerator up and running, there's no way to connect it to her. Now, if we were back on _Voyager_ , we have enough supplies to fix it."

"But we're not on _Voyager_ ," Chakotay interjected. Harry let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry. Even the Maquis had more resources than we have right now." The words just came out. He hadn't meant to bring it up. No longer did Harry think of the crew of _Voyager_ as Starfleet and Maquis but one big family. He was simply trying to make a point here. "No offense, Commander," he added as a quick afterthought when he realized that his words could be construed as highly disrespectful and perhaps even insubordinate given Chakotay's past.

"None taken. I appreciate your candidness. I know I've put a lot of pressure on you and Tom. It hasn't been fair to you."

"If I couldn't handle the pressure, I wouldn't have joined Starfleet in the first place." Chakotay knew that Harry was right. They had been under similar pressure countless times in the past, they would handle it once again. Unfortunately, they couldn't tell if Seven would be able to handle it.

As he got to his feet, Chakotay asked, "Do me a favor? Look at the mobile regenerator just a little while longer?" His tone spoke volumes. It wasn't an order but rather a request from a man running low on options.

"Aye, Commander," Harry agreed with a small nod. He wasn't sure how much good could come out of looking at the regenerator, but he was going to try. Perhaps there was another way to get the power from the mobile regenerator to Seven by bypassing the missing conduits. If only he could figure out how.

 **Author's Note:** Well, we're about halfway through this adventure, I hope you stick around for the second half. In the mean time, make sure to leave a review and check out my other fic: Adjustment Period, which is another Chakotay/Seven story.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

 _The ground crunched beneath Chakotay's feet as he walked across the desert. He glanced behind him in the direction he assumed was the away team's camp with the Ighanians, but there weren't any caves anywhere to be seen. Confused, his head whipped around as he tried to figure out what was going on. No longer was he stranded on the planet in the middle of the Delta Quadrant, he was home. Elation swelled in his chest until he looked up at the bright blue sky that stretched above him in all directions. As soon as he saw it, he knew he was dreaming. There was a large moon that dominated the midday sky. The fact that he was dreaming didn't stop him from walking across the desert, continuing to explore. If his mind brought him to this location as he slept, there must be an important reason, and he simply had to figure out what that reason was._

 _Although the blazing sun beat down overhead, Chakotay didn't feel hot. After spending a week in the desert without any environmental controls and very little reprieve from the heat during the day, it was a welcome change of pace. As he walked, he kept his eyes open for any signs as to what he was doing here. His eyes drifted to the ground beneath his feet. The reddish sand littered with rocks stained his heavily scuffed boots from a week of wandering the desert and caves. This boots would probably need to be recycled when he got back to the ship. Caught up in his scrutiny of his boots, Chakotay almost missed it, but there was a clear sign right in front of him. Soft, barely visible grooves wove their way across the sand, leading him to the right of where he was currently walking. With a newfound understanding of what he was doing here, he immediately deviated from his current path and followed the tracks in front of him._

 _The tracks eventually disappeared into a small hole in the ground, prompting Chakotay to sit on the ground directly in front of it. Although the sun gave off no heat, the sand was warm beneath him. His hands rested comfortably on his knees as he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to relax himself. The faint sound of movement across the sand prompted him to open his eyes. There, poking her head out of her den was his spirit animal. Just the sight of the familiar creature caused an overwhelming sense of calmness to wash over him. He'd been so distracted by everything going on that it hadn't crossed his mind to turn to his spirit guide for assistance, so it made sense that she would seek him out in his time of need._

 _Chakotay closed his eyes once again and focused all his thoughts on his breathing as he felt his stress slowly melt away. Despite the fact that his eyes were still closed, he could sense his spirit guide as she watched over him. Slowly, he opened his eyes and reached out to gently stroke the snake's head. It was her turn to close her eyes as she enjoyed the tender touch. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He understood why he had been summoned here. Although his spirit guide didn't tell him anything, he understood her message loud and clear. Everything was going to be alright._ _Voyager_ _was going to rescue them. He just had to keep Seven as healthy as possible until then. He had to be strong for her. He had no idea how he was going to do that, but he had to find a way. According to his animal guide, this was his path, and he had to make the best of it. Chakotay tapped the back of his head three times, and the desert around him immediately disappeared._

Letting out a small gasp, Chakotay's eyes flew open. He was curled up on the hard ground with his arm locked tightly around Seven, who appeared to be resting as peacefully as could be expected. The front of his body was covered with a layer of sweat, which was strange given the fact that it was still cold outside. Heat radiated off her body, which immediately alarmed him and explained the sweat. He pressed the back of his hand against her cheek, which confirmed what he already knew: her fever was still raging without any sign of stopping. As gently as possible, he untangled himself and got to his feet; he had to do something to make her more comfortable, at least until help arrived. He saw Notaxi and Harry already awake and preparing breakfast in the distance.

Harry was surprised when he saw that Chakotay was already awake. Although the First Officer was usually up early in the morning, he'd been running himself ragged lately and usually slept in a little bit after waking up throughout the night to watch over Seven. He honestly didn't expect him to be awake for at least another hour.

"Commander, you can go back to sleep if you want," Harry offered as Chakotay took one of the small bowls and filled it with water. Up close, he could see the bags under his eyes. When paired with the grey that seemed more prominent in his hair than usual and stress lines that creased his face, he seemed to have aged twenty years since the start of this away mission.

"I'm fine," he insisted after draining the cup and going back for more. "We have to assume that _Voyager_ knows something's wrong now but probably won't start heading in this direction until this afternoon at the earliest."

"Which means they won't get here until tomorrow at the earliest," Harry interjected. Chakotay nodded with a grim expression on his face.

"I want you to check on the shuttle, see if _Voyager_ left us any communication." Harry opened his mouth to point out that the likelihood of that happening was almost non-existent, but he quickly decided against it. There was a faint sparkle of hope in Chakotay's eyes that he hadn't seen since the cave in, and he wasn't about to trample on that. If he wanted him to check for any communication on the shuttle, then he would.

"Aye, Sir."

"I'm going to take a look at the mobile regenerator. Seven's taught me a little bit about the technology." That was an overstatement. She'd done her best to explain the technology to him, but he wasn't an engineer. He had a very basic understanding of Borg technology, which was far more complex than anything Starfleet had. Thanks to his brief time being linked to a Collective with Riley and his time with Seven, he hoped he would be able to figure out some way to fix the mobile regenerator. Chakotay knew that he was just grasping at straws here, but he had to do something. He needed to follow the directions of his animal guide and make sure Seven was comfortable and taken care of until _Voyager_ finally arrived to rescue them. With any luck, they'd be gone in a little more than twenty-four hours, and Seven would be able to get the medical help she so desperately needed.

With the exception of Seven, Tom was the last one awake. He hadn't meant to sleep so late, exhaustion had finally caught up with him, and it just happened. Usually someone woke him up and gave him his orders for the day, but that wasn't the case today. He wasn't complaining, of course, because clearly it meant that he needed the sleep, but he also felt guilty because it left others to pick up the slack for the morning. When he sat up and looked around, he saw that everyone else was already awake and going about their tasks for the day. In the shadows of the cave, Chakotay sat next to Seven with the mobile regenerator open in front of him. The First Officer's brow furrowed with determination as he concentrated on his task while Seven rested next to him. Every few minutes, he glanced up at her to make sure she's alright, but she didn't move. Harry was gone, off somewhere probably trying to help. Notaxi swung his bag over his shoulder as he walked away from the camp, presumably to forage for food. Wanting to feel useful, Tom scrambled to his feet. Suddenly he felt wide awake and ready to get his day started. He might not be able to do anything to help Seven, but he could at least help gather supplies for the day.

"Hey," he called as he jogged after the Ighanian. "Can I come with you?"

"Sure," Notaxi agreed. He glanced back at Chakotay, who caught his eye for a split second and gave the faintest hint of a nod, which was enough permission for Tom to leave camp for the time being. He fell into step alongside Notaxi as they set off across the desert to gather supplies for the day.

As sick and tired as he was of this place and all the trouble it had caused them, Tom did have to admit that the desert did have a certain appeal to it. Despite the fact that everything around him appeared to be brown and either dead or dying, there was an odd beauty about the desert. It was amazing that plants could find a way to survive and even thrive in this harsh climate. What was even more surprising was that Henan and Notaxi were able to find a way to survive despite the fact that they weren't from here originally. Over the years, undoubtedly through significant trial and error, they found food, water and even medicine, all without the help of the Kalrussians who stranded them here in the first place. Suddenly, it dawned on Tom that he knew almost nothing about their new comrades, other than the fact that they had been lured here with the same ruse that had brought the crew from _Voyager_ here. Other than that, they were a complete mystery.

"How long have you been on this planet?" Tom blurted out, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over the pair as they hiked over the barren terrain. Now that he asked it, he realized how strange his question sounded since it was completely unprovoked. Without breaking his confident stride, Notaxi stopped to think.

"About three years," he finally replied. His eyes darted back and forth across the desert in search of anything they could use at camp for either food or medicine. The answer shocked Tom. he couldn't imagine being stranded on a planet with only one other person from _Voyager_ for three years. Sometimes being stuck on the starship felt smothering, there were only so many people to talk to in a day. At least there was some variety on _Voyager_ in terms of who to talk to, and there was the fact that they were traveling across the quadrant and always running into new and interesting species. He knew that if he was stuck on this planet, even with Harry or B'Elanna as company, he would go crazy within a month.

"Have you ever tried to leave?" Notaxi shrugged.

"Several other species have offered when we've helped them with the Kalrussians, but we've always said no." Tom snapped his mouth closed. He was about to say that _Voyager_ might be able to get them home, or at least closer to home than they currently were once they were rescued. "We're happy here. It's been a fresh start for both of us." Suddenly things began to fall into place for Tom. Although Notaxi didn't admit it, his body language spoke volumes. He got the immediate impression that Henan and Notaxi were involved with something less than savory back on their home planet, and this was their chance to escape it and redeem themselves by helping those who were stuck here. In a way, it was their way to make atonement for whatever their past actions had been. Tom had had the same thoughts when he first agreed to help the Captain retrieve the _Val Jean_ so many years ago. While everyone had been heartbroken over being stuck in the Delta Quadrant, he'd seen it as his opportunity to make things right and start fresh. Now, he had a wife, a beautiful daughter (not to say B'Elanna wasn't beautiful as well) and a highly respectable job on one of the best starships in the Federation. Anyone would be jealous to have half of what he had. Clearly he'd managed to make a decent name for himself, just like Henan and Notaxi.

"Well, if you change your mind, I'm pretty sure the Captain will let you come with us. We have a habit of picking up wayward souls." That was definitely an understatement. Kathryn always made sure to open the doors of _Voyager_ to anyone who wanted safe passage, regardless of their past. In a way, the starship was a second chance for anyone who wanted it.

"Clearly," Notaxi commented dryly. "A Borg isn't exactly common on most ships." Henan had filled in Notaxi as to how Seven had joined the crew of _Voyager_. While he found the situation strange, he also found it almost touching that the crew had been so willing to take a risk with her. It had obviously worked, and based on the way the rest of the away team reacted to her current condition, she was obviously quite dear to all of them.

"No, it's not," Tom agreed with a laugh. "But I can't imagine _Voyager_ without her. We have another Borg too."

"Is he also human?"

"No, Icheb is Brunali. He hasn't been on _Voyager_ for as long as Seven, He's actually applying to the Starfleet Academy."

"How will that work since you're so far from home?"

"We've found a way to make it work." Tom didn't want to reveal that _Voyager_ had regular data transfers with the Alpha Quadrant. For some reason, he decided to keep that fact to himself.

"You must have a impressive vessel. How many are on your crew?" There was an eagerness in Notaxi's eyes that hadn't been there before. It was a fleeting moment, but not so fleeting that Tom didn't catch it. Just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. At first, it caught him off guard. All of a sudden, he felt that the conversation had shifted from him getting information about the Ighanians to the other way around. Tom didn't feel comfortable revealing how many crewmen were on _Voyager_ , it wasn't any of Notaxi's business anyway.

"It's not much," he said humbly with a small shrug of his shoulders without answering his question. With any luck, Notaxi would drop the matter. "She gets the job done." It wasn't exactly a lie. After seven years in the Delta Quadrant without any chances to update _Voyager_ with the help of Starfleet, there was no doubt that the ship was starting to get a little out of date. He knew B'Elanna did her best to keep the ship up to date, but there was only so much she could do with her limited resources. The Borg upgrades from Seven and Icheb certainly helped, but the starship would definitely need massive upgrades when they finally got home. Just as he had hoped, the conversation died off.

After walking for nearly half an hour, Notaxi stopped and crouched down in front of small pale green sprouts that were no more than a few centimeters tall. They looked sickly and pathetic, hardly anything worth stopping for, not that there was many other plants around here to choose from. Despite that, Notaxi looked excited to find them. Tom got the sense that this was what they had come all the way out here for.

"These are called kliziss," Notaxi explained as he began to dig around the sprouts with his bare hands. The dry dirt slowly gave away, and Notaxi followed the thin, delicate stem that continued to disappear deeper in the ground. "They're hard to find because they have very small, sickly plants that grow above ground." He continued to dig, eventually revealing a vegetable that looked to be similar to a navy blue potato underneath. With a victorious smile spreading across his face, Notaxi plucked the vegetable out of the ground and handed it to Tom. "We normally boil it and make a soup out of it, along with several other vegetables that we can find nearby." Tom had to admit that he was impressed.

"We never would have found this on our own," he admitted as he began to stuff the vegetables in his bag as Notaxi handed them to him. This was probably going to be the best meal they'd had since getting here. If only they could get Seven to eat some of it, she could use the nutrients more than any of them.

"No, I imagine not." Once all the kliziss were collected, both men got to their feet. Still accustomed to keeping his uniform neat, Tom brushed the sand off his pants. At this point, this was an exercise in futility. His pants were stained and the bottoms were starting to get frayed. All the movement and kneeling on the ground was starting to wear out the knees; Tom wouldn't be surprised if he completely wore them out in the next day or two. The grey t-shirt he wore was covered with sweat and dirt. Everything would have to be recycled the moment he got back to _Voyager_ , they were all ruined. "We're going to keep looking, there are some more vegetables I want to find to make something to help your friend get back her strength," Notaxi explained.

"I don't think some soup will help, Seven can't keep anything down," Tom admitted as they began to walk once again. He immediately began to mentally berate himself. He needed to be more optimistic. He was a stranger on this planet. Perhaps there was something here that would help Seven get back at least some of her energy that she was losing as a result of her nanoprobes shutting down, and a little bit more energy could mean the difference between life and death for her.

Tom's cynicism didn't deter Notaxi, who continued to scan the desert with expert eyes. This was clearly someone who had adapted to living here and continue to thrive here for years to come. Tom couldn't help but think about when they had first landed their shuttle here, which seemed like a lifetime ago. Upon seeing the desert stretch out in all directions, he'd immediately assumed that this place was little more than a barren wasteland, unsuitable for supporting any humanoid life. Now that he'd had a chance to spend some time with Notaxi and Henan, he saw that that wasn't the case. There was so much here that could help them survive, if you knew where to look at is. Of course, Tom had no intention of staying here and learning to survive on this planet for the long haul. He couldn't wait until he got back to _Voyager_ , and this was nothing more than a distant memory, something they brought up in passing when reflecting on away missions that went horribly wrong. Unfortunately, that couldn't happen until they were rescued, whenever that may be.

Chakotay had no idea what he expected to accomplish by looking at the mobile regenerator. There were simply too many parts missing to get it to work, and even if he had the parts, there wasn't a way to fix it, as he had no tools. He needed to do something to make himself feel useful while Seven slept, even if that meant pouring over the useless device in the hopes of finding a way to make it work. He glanced over her and saw that her eyes were cracked open, prompting him to immediately abandon the task in front of him and devote his attention entirely on her.

"Hey," he murmured gently as he crawled the few feet over to her. Her eyes opened a little more, indicating that she was in fact awake and, with any luck, lucid. "How are you feeling?"

"Everything hurts." Other than the fact that her voice was incredibly weak, she sounded normal, as if she just woke up from a nap. It was a reassuring sign that perhaps her body was finding a way to compensate for the lack of regeneration on its own; Borgs were known for their adaptive technology after all.

"I know, sweetheart," he murmured tenderly. When Chakotay pressed the back of his hand against her cheek, however, he was immediately proven wrong. She was still burning up. Seven's gaze shifted from focusing on his face to over his left shoulder. When it stayed locked there for several seconds, he glanced over his shoulder to see what she was looking at. They were the only ones in the cave so there shouldn't be anything or anyone for her to look at. "What is it?" he pressed.

"When did the Doctor get here?" His heart sank. For a second, he thought she was fine, but all those thoughts were quickly dashed when he realized that her fever was so bad that she was starting to see things.

"He's not here, Seven. The Doctor is still on _Voyager_. They're on their way to get us." It wasn't necessarily a lie, he knew _Voyager_ would be on its way here to rescue them, but he still felt slightly guilty for misleading Seven.

"No, he's right there." To make her point, she pointed over Chakotay's shoulder. Her entire arm trembled with fatigue for several seconds before falling pathetically across her stomach. "The Doctor is right there. It looks like he's going to perform surgery on me. Tell him I'm fine. I do not require any surgery or maintenance." Chakotay leaned forward to take her face in his hands.

"Look at me," he urged. His voice had shifted from tender and caring to frazzled and desperate. He longed to do nothing more than to take the pain away from her; she didn't deserve to go through anything like this, she'd already suffered enough pain throughout her life. "The Doctor isn't here, and he's not going to perform any surgery on you." Seven clawed desperately at his arms as she attempted to break free. Her nails dug into his exposed arm, but he ignored the sharp pain.

"No," she cried. "Don't let him touch me." A few stray tears sprang up in her eyes and began to roll down her hollow cheeks. Chakotay had no idea why she was all of a sudden so afraid of the Doctor; he'd always assumed that they were good friends. Clearly she was seeing something far more intimidating than just him.

"I won't, _muñeca_ , I promise. I'll order him not to." That seemed to calm her down enough to get her to stop clawing at Chakotay's arms. He ran his thumb over her cheek. "Just rest." His voice had gone back to gentle and comforting. Between his reassurances and the soothing tone of his voice, she began to relax once again. Gradually, her breathing slowed down, going from ragged gasps for air to shallow, even breaths until she was asleep once again. While Chakotay had grown to worry whenever she slept too much, he was actually grateful, as whatever plagued her while she was awake was clearly more terrifying than whatever she dreamt about, at least for the time being. He brushed her hair back from her face and did his best to make sure she was comfortable, or as comfortable as possible given her current declining health.

The incident with Seven left Chakotay feeling shaken. There were many aspects of her condition that caused him to grow increasingly worried. She was sleeping almost all the time now, only awake for a few minutes every few hours, and those moments were becoming briefer and more sporadic. When she was awake now, he could tell that her delusions still plagued her, causing her waking moments to be just as terrifying as the nightmares that gripped her as she slept. Her fever was still dangerously high and showed no sign of breaking anytime soon. Since she was sleeping all the time, she was barely eating and drinking, and Chakotay knew she ran the risk of becoming dehydrated as well, especially in this sweltering heat. She needed sickbay and all the medical equipment that came with it, not the constant presence of a cool cloth on her forehead and the hopes that she'd get out of here soon. Even with the reassurances from his animal guide, Chakotay found himself feeling hopeless.

Chakotay barely had time to recover from Seven's outburst before Tom entered the cave. He had been gone for nearly two hours, and the First Officer had been starting to get worried that something had happened to them as Notaxi usually wasn't gone that long when he foraged for food. After being out in the sun for so long, the cool shade of the cave felt like heaven to Tom. He grabbed one of the small bowls, filled it with water from a nearby canteen and immediately drained it without a second thought. He couldn't wait to get back to _Voyager_ and it's constant climate control, among other perks.

"How did the foraging go?" Chakotay asked.

"We found these vegetables to make for dinner," Tom replied as he produced what looked like a squash from the bag slung over his shoulder and handed it over to Chakotay. While it looked like a squash, it certainly didn't feel like one, its skin was soft, almost like a tomato.

"It's not the best tasting, but it has plenty of nutrients," Notaxi explained as he unpacked the kliziss from his bag. Tom and Chakotay exchanged wary looks. To them, it sounded like exactly leola root, although they hoped it tasted better. If they could survive eating that, then they were sure they could survive eating this. "If we can get your friend to eat some, it may help." Sighing, Chakotay glanced down at Seven. He honestly had no idea how to make that happen, as she was barely awake anymore. She needed to eat though, he knew that, he just had no idea how to make that happen.

"We need to find a way to lower her fever too, even by a few degrees. Her body is using up so much energy that way," he pointed out. Notaxi and Tom exchanged brief glances.

"We actually have an idea for that," Tom said. "But I'm not entirely sure that you'll like it." Chakotay felt himself grow tense. If Tom was warning him ahead of time, he knew it wasn't something he would like. On the other hand, if it was something that would help Seven, he may have to suck it up and deal with it.

"Okay…."

"Seven's bodysuit is probably retaining a lot of heat. Notaxi has an extra tunic we can change her into." Suddenly all the pieces fell into place. It wasn't that Chakotay didn't like the idea, as it was probably the only way they could help regulate Seven's escalating body temperature, but he didn't like how it would have to be executed. Since Seven was obviously unable to change herself, he would need to do it, but he wouldn't be able to do it on his own. The thought of someone else helping to change out of her clothes unsettled him. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, he just didn't like the thought of other men touching her in that matter, no matter how innocent it might be. The realization startled him. He was feeling jealous. Logically, he knew he had felt it before when he and Seven had discussed the sleeping arrangements, but that seemed like a lifetime ago now. This was completely different, though. Before, it had just been the thought of Harry or Tom sharing a tent with her, which was completely innocent. Now, one of them might have to help him remove Seven's clothes. He would have to get over his jealousy, especially if this was something that could help her.

"Okay," he relented hesitantly. "Tom, I want you to help me."

"Aye, Sir." Notaxi pulled the tunic out of his bag before exiting the cave to give the men some privacy. He could sense the apprehension in Chakotay and wanted to give them some space to complete the task. Chakotay picked up the tunic. The fabric was homespun and looked rough, but it was soft and lightweight against his touch. This would be perfect and hopefully do something to help lower her body temperature.

Once Notaxi was gone, both Chakotay and Tom stared at the tunic. They had no idea how to get started. They both knew they had to be gentle with Seven, but there was no gentle way to do this; dressing and undressing an unconscious person was a difficult task, even with two people to do the job.

"What if we put the tunic on over her bodysuit," Tom finally suggested as the idea formulated in his head. "Then you could remove the bodysuit?" It seemed like the most reasonable suggestion that would save Seven's modesty while simultaneously getting the task done. With the tunic in hand, Chakotay stood over Seven and thought over the suggestion. It seemed easy enough.

"Okay," he relented. Both men crouched down. As gently as possible, Chakotay lifted up Seven's torso. She immediately flopped against him.

"Hold her up the best you can," Tom directed. Thanks to his time working in sickbay and his experience as a father, Tom was somewhat familiar with getting sleeping forms dressed, prompting him to take charge of the situation. Of course, Miral was much easier to change because she was significantly smaller, but the basics were more or less the same. Chakotay moved so he was behind Seven and held her up by the waist. Her head immediately went forward, and her chin rested on her chest. It was good enough for Tom, who bunched up the tunic and pulled it down sharply over her head. Working with surprising speed, thrust both of her limp arms into the sleeves. Tom paused for a few moments while he tried to think of the next steps. "Chakotay, it'll be easier to start removing her bodysuit now before we pull down her tunic."

"Okay. You're going to need to hold her up." Very carefully, the men switched positions so Tom was the one with Seven's limp form braced against him. The amount of heat that radiated off her unnerved him; it served as a reminder that a fever continued to grasp her with no sign of letting go. Chakotay knelt in front of Seven with his knees on either side of her legs. He reached under the tunic and carefully felt along the back of her bodysuit for the zipper. He'd seen her remove it in the privacy of his quarters, but he wasn't exactly sure where it was because he hadn't done the deed himself. He'd also been more excited to see what was underneath the bodysuit to actually pay attention to how she took it off. Finally, his fingers brushed against a small piece of cool metal, which he correctly assumed was the zipper and gently tugged it down to her waist. As if on cue, Seven's eyes opened slightly.

"Chakotay?" she muttered as she turned to nuzzle Tom's chest affectionately. He immediately froze and locked eyes with Chakotay. He expected the First Officer to get upset, but he looked more concerned than angry at the intimate action. Chakotay couldn't be mad at Seven, she was in a somewhat delirious state, and he couldn't be mad at Tom, as he was only trying to help.

"Uhh...wrong guy," Tom stammered uncomfortably. Chakotay stopped what he was doing and turned his attention to Seven. Since she was awake, she may be able to help the awkward process along.

"I'm right here," he murmured tenderly as he ran his fingertips along the back of her hand. Her head twitched as she attempted to look at him, but she was too weak to sit up properly. After a few moments, she finally gave up and leaned against Tom. It still didn't fully register to her that it wasn't Chakotay she was leaning against, nor did it matter to her; all she wanted to do was rest. The voices and faces swirled in front of her an overwhelming cacophony of noise and images made worse by the fact that her optical implant was barely functional anymore, leaving her essentially blind in one eye.

"What's going on?" Her speech was slurred, virtually impossible to understand unless someone was right next to her, which Tom was.

"We're changing you into something that will help cool you off," he explained.

"Can you help us move your arms?" Chakotay requested.

"I think so." Her arm twitched and flexed slightly.

"Okay, give me a second." He reached under the tunic once again and carefully peeled back the bodysuit. Thanks to the sweat and grime that coated her, it stuck to Seven like a second layer of skin, making it slightly more difficult to remove than he originally anticipated. As he removed it, he could feel her fiery flesh being exposed underneath. "Okay _muñeca_ , I need you to flex your arm." Seven complied to the best of her ability, but it was an exhausting task. "Good job. We're almost done." He carefully guided her arm through the sleeve of the tunic before turning his attention to the other arm where he repeated the same process. As he pulled the bodysuit down her torso, he was horrified at what he felt. Every single rib stuck out as his fingers grazed her blazing hot flesh. Already incredibly slender, Seven was dropping weight dangerously fast. Not only did he have to worry about her fever, but now he had to worry about how much she weighed. When they got back to _Voyager_ the Doctor would have to find a way to help her gain back all the weight she lost. "Lay her back down," he told Tom. Very carefully, he backed up so she could lay down properly. Without meaning to, he ended up with her head resting in his lap. Her hand automatically reached out for Tom's and held onto it for dear life. He glanced at Chakotay, but he was preoccupied with removing the rest of the body suit. His fingers brushed against her hips, which jutted out sharply. Just a week ago, they had been gentle, sumptuous curves. If anything, this served as another startling reminder that she was wasting away. As Chakotay's fingers brushed across the implant on her leg, he nearly recoiled in horror. The metal felt like it was on the verge of overheating. Mindful of the complex implant that wove its way across her delicate thigh, he pulled down the bodysuit completely. Before throwing it to the side, he removed her comm badge and slid it in his pocket. He'd stow it away on the shuttle for safekeeping later.

Once Chakotay was done, Tom untangled himself from Seven's grasp and laid her head down on the pile of clothes that served as her pillow. Sometime during the entire ordeal, she had managed to fall asleep again. The movement had been too much for her, and now her body needed to recoup whatever energy it could.

"Thanks for the help," Chakotay said as he reached out to brush Seven's hair back from her face.

"Just don't ever tell B'Elanna." Chakotay chuckled. It was the first real sign of happiness that Tom had seen come from the First Officer since they got here. Ever since they set foot in this planet, all Chakotay could focus on was the well being of the crew, along with finding the source of the distress call. It had been a disaster almost from the beginning. If anything, this away mission would turn them all off of away missions for a very long time.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Chakotay knew better than to tell B'Elanna about this. It was no secret that she and Seven didn't get along, and while Tom's help had been completely harmless, she still wouldn't be pleased. There was no way he would ever tell her about this, even though it was completely harmless and meant to help Seven, he valued his life far too much to be that reckless.

That evening, Chakotay emerged from the cave just in time for dinner. While he felt guilty for not helping prepare the meal or maintain the camp in any real capacity, the guilt was fleeting, as he was more focused on keeping Seven safe and comfortable. Every other member of the camp could look after themselves, but she was completely helpless and at the mercy of those around her for even the most basic of needs, such as a sip of water or a bite of food.

"How is she?" Harry asked as Chakotay sat across the campfire from him.

"About the same," he replied dejectedly. "Fever at a hundred and three, only awake for a few minutes at a time, and when she is, she has no idea where she is or what's going on."

"That could be a good thing," Tom pointed out. "She might not be aware of how much discomfort she's in." Chakotay could only hope that that was true, because then it meant that Seven wasn't in as much pain as she appeared to be. There was no way to know for sure. On the other hand, if she were aware of the severity of situation, she might be able to help find a way to fix her mobile regenerator. Seeing as she was unable to help, they were on their own.

"When do you think your vessel will get here?" Henan interjected, changing the subject.

"There's no way to be sure," Harry replied. "I spent all day in the shuttle trying to get in contact with them and trying to use sensors to scan for them, but there's too much interference in the atmosphere. I've put out several distress calls to play on loop, and they know where we landed. All we have to do is stay close to this area. They should be here in a few days." Although nobody was saying it, everything was thinking it: they had no idea if Seven would even last that long. All they could do was keep an eye on her, keep working on the mobile regenerator and hope for the best.

The wind began to pick up. It was slow at first, something none of the men noticed until it knocked one of the canteens off on a nearby rock with a loud clatter that sent them all jumping to their feet. Chakotay instinctively reached for his phaser at his hip until he realized what it was. Thick clouds rolled across the dark sky, punctuated by bright flashes of light in the distance, instantly telling everyone what was going on.

"We better get inside," Henan announced. In a way, the plasma storm was a blessing in disguise. Chakotay had only intended to be away from Seven long enough to grab some food, he had no idea why he had even sat down in the first place. Now, the weather forced him back to her side where he intended to watch her throughout the night, just like she would if the tables were turned.

As the beginnings of the storm swirled around them, all five men scrambled to gather their supplies and rush into the safety of the cave. Tom skidded to a stop next to Seven, who was resting in the mouth of the cave where she could easily be monitored by everyone at the camp, and turned to Harry.

"Help me move her further inside," he ordered over the sound of the wind. Harry didn't need to be told twice. While Tom looped his arms under hers, he grabbed her feet, and they carefully carried her about fifty meters deeper. Remembering his duty to look after everyone who was a part of the away mission, Chakotay was the last one in the cave. At least now if something happened, they would all be together.

"Is everyone here?" he asked. He had to raise his voice more than usual to be heard over the wind outside, which was picking up at an alarming speed outside.

"Yeah, we're all here," Tom assured. "What are the chances the Kalrussians will come back and try to steal more from us?" While he asked in a joking manner, it was a serious question directed at Henan and Notaxi. The Ighanians exchanged quick glances as if trying to figure out the answer themselves.

"I don't know," Henan replied.

"They're cowards," Notaxi added. "Now that they've seen that you're not going to stand for their thieving ways, I imagine that they'll stay away." It was a relief to the away team. There was nothing left for the Ighanians to steal, but they were still hesitant, fearing they would show up and attempt to take what little supplies they had left.

"One can only hope," Harry commented bitterly. Uninterested in the conversation, Chakotay sat down next to Seven. As gently as possible, he lifted up her head and rested it in his lap. At least for right now, he could offer her something slightly better than using a pile of dirty uniforms as a pillow. It wasn't much, but it also made him feel better that he was this close to her. She moaned softly. As if knowing it was him, she rolled over and grasped at the leg of his trousers for a second before relaxing once again.

Satisfied that everyone was safe in the cave, Chakotay was able to relax with a bowl of soup in one had, at least slightly, as he kept the other hand on Seven's shoulder. Remembering the feeling of her emaciated body against her touch, he no longer felt hungry. As delicately as possible, he lifted up her torso and cradled her in his arms.

"Wake up, _muñeca_ ," he prompted. She didn't respond, so he repeated himself. "Seven, wake up." Although he didn't mean it, his voice was more forceful the second time, more like an order than a request. Moaning, her eyes cracked open.

"Is it time for me to report to duty?" she asked. It was difficult to hear her weak voice over the sound of the plasma storm raging outside. Chakotay had to duck his head down so his ear was right next to her lips to hear her properly.

"Not yet," Chakotay replied. He hoped that going along with her delusions would help make her more comfortable, although he couldn't be certain. At this rate, he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. "I brought you something to eat."

"I do not require nourishment."

"Yes you do. Just a little bit, for me." He sounded desperate as he pressed the bowl to her lips. She immediately pursed her lips and turned her head away in protest. Despite the fact that she had turned her head away, the smell of the warm broth still wafted up, immediately assaulting her nostrils. Almost instantly, an uncontrollable sense of nausea overwhelmed her. She immediately pushed Chakotay away and fell to her hands and knees, heaving violently in the process. Chakotay immediately leapt into action. He knelt next to her and pulled her hair back from her face while rubbing her back soothingly. Tears of humiliation and agony sprang up in her eyes as she tried to force something, anything to come up from her stomach. Unfortunately, her nearly exclusively water diet the last few days had made that more or less impossible. A sob of frustration slipped past her lips. "Shhh, it's okay," Chakotay soothed as he continued to rub her back, which was just about all he could do right now given their current situation.

Having seen what was happening from the other end of the cave, Tom materialized at Chakotay's side with the tricorder in hand. While Chakotay attempted to comfort Seven, Tom scanned her to figure out what was causing the nausea. The scans were inconclusive. All he could do was watch helplessly as Chakotay tried to calm her down enough for the gagging to subside. Seven's arms and legs shook with fatigue from supporting her body for too long.

"Chakotay," Tom warned. "She's going to collapse." Chakotay immediately looped an arm around her fragile waist in an effort to support her.

"I'm fine," she insisted as she attempted to push him away. Not buying it for a second, he kept his arm around her as they both sat back, essentially forcing her to rest against him. "I'm fine," she repeated drowsily.

"Just rest," he murmured while he stroked her hair. "You need to conserve your energy." She nodded briefly but instantly regretted. While the nausea had temporarily helped her forget about the perpetual headache she suffered through, it was now back with a vengeance. She rested her head against Chakotay's chest and closed her eyes with the hope that that would be enough to make the pain go away. It didn't, but the gentle beating of his heart helped to lull her back off to sleep.

Even though Chakotay sensed that Seven was resting once again, he couldn't bring himself to let go of her. Instead, he settled back against the wall of the cave and held her in his arms like a small child. They fit together perfectly, as if it was meant to be. Harry joined them, crouching down next to Tom.

"Did she manage to eat anything?" he asked. Chakotay shook his head.

"I think the smell of the soup was what set her off," he replied.

"She needs to eat," Tom pointed out. "She's going to get dehydrated, and that's going to put even more of a strain on her body." As soon as he said those words, he instantly regretted it. All he was doing was pointing out the obvious. Everyone here knew that Seven needed to eat and drink. Notaxi had even gone out of his way to find vegetables that would help her build up her strength today, but she couldn't even stand the smell of them. At this rate, her body was going to continue to waste away, despite their best efforts to get her back to _Voyager_ safely.

A strong arm held Seven close. She opened her eyes but couldn't see anything. As soon as she tried to look around, her head started to pound in protest. Groaning, she buried her face in what she thought was pillow until she felt it gently rise and fall with each breath. That, combined with a smell that was uniquely masculine told her that she was curled up against someone. Her thin fingers carefully groped along the stranger's arm, up to his face, which she traced lightly in an attempt to figure out who it was. It only took her a few seconds to figure out that it was Chakotay. His presence comforted her as she nuzzled closer. She was absolutely freezing, and his body gave off a wonderful amount of heat. All the movement caused him to moan and run his fingers gently along her back.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly so as to not wake up anyone else. It was silent outside, indicating that the plasma storm had long passed. His chest rumbled against her. It was an odd, yet comforting phenomenon.

"Exhausted." Her voice sounded stronger, much more coherent than their past few interactions, which instantly roused him from his sleep. Chakotay scooted back so he could look at her properly. Even in the limited light, he could make out the faint outline of her pale face. She almost seemed to glow in the darkness.

"Do you want any water or something to eat?" Memories of what had happened just a few hours earlier when Seven tried to eat came flooding back to him, but she didn't seemed phased by it at all. With any luck, she didn't have any memory of what had happened.

"No. I just want to spend what time I have left with you." Her hand came to rest on his cheek. He instinctively turned towards it and brushed his lips against her palm. Her hands were cold and clammy, a startling change from a few hours earlier when they had been on fire.

"Don't talk like that," he urged desperately. " _Voyager_ is on its way, and we're going to get you back safely. It's my job to get everyone on this away team back safely, and that includes you."

"Chakotay, I'm dying. I'm not going to make it back." Chakotay's heart skipped a beat. He'd been praying for a few lucid moments with Seven, just so he could get a glimpse of her old self, but now that he had them, he mentally cursed himself. At least when she was delirious or out of it, she had no idea about the severity of her condition. Now, however, she was aware of everything going on around her, including the fact that she was essentially on borrowed time. Unsure what to do, he pressed a firm kiss to her forehead.

"You might have given up, but I haven't. The Captain is on her way right now, and you're going to be fine."

"You're being unreasonable. Denying the severity of my situation will not change it. I am just upset that we didn't get more time to spend together as a couple." Her voice was slowly growing weaker, an indication that her body was starting to run out of energy once again. He wanted to make the most of these last few minutes together. Realistically, he knew this could be the last lucid conversation she had with him, no matter how much he tried to deny it. One of them had to be the optimistic one.

"We'll have plenty more time when we get back to _Voyager_ ," he promised Seven ignored him. Her mind was starting to become foggy again, making it difficult to form a complete thought, let alone a coherent sentence. She grasped his upper arm firmly as if clinging to him for dear life would be enough to ground her in reality. She had so much she still wanted to say, and she knew she only had a few seconds left to say everything.

"Chakotay, I lo-" He pressed a finger firmly against her lips.

"No, not like this," he urged. "Tell me on _Voyager_ when all of this is behind us." The words died on her lips as she fell asleep once again, shivering against him. Chakotay kept his arms firmly around her. He buried his face in the soft pillow that was her hair and drew in a deep breath to calm himself down. Never before in his life had he doubted his animal guide so much. He had a hard time believing that everything was going to be alright when Seven had essentially just told him goodbye for the last time.

Chakotay laid awake long after sleep claimed Seven. With one arm outstretched to his side to serve as a pillow for her, he rolled onto his back and stared at the high ceiling of the cave. Despite how she felt, he absolutely refused to give up. If he knew the Captain, and he liked to think he did, she was already on her way back to rescue them. Seven just had to hold on a little while longer. Unfortunately, he knew from past experiences that once a person gave up in situations like this, it was only a matter of time until they died. Chakotay absolutely refused to allow that to happen. He wasn't prepared to give up yet, not when he knew _Voyager_ was on its way. If only he could find a way to get Seven to hold on to hope. He was certain they would be rescued shortly.

The following morning, the away team emerged from the cave with Henan and Notaxi. The sun shined brightly overhead, giving no indication of the storm that had ravaged the landscape the night before. Seeing that the firepit had been destroyed, once again, Harry began to gather stones to trap in the heat, not that they needed heat right now. By his estimation it was already close to twenty-six degrees Celcius. It was going to be another long, hot day. Caught up in his thoughts about the day ahead, Harry didn't notice the strange bundle wedged between two rocks. He grabbed one of the rocks, knocking the bundle loose and sending it clattering to the ground. The noise caught his attention. Temporarily abandoning the rock, he picked up the small bundle. It was tan fabric wrapped around something and crudely tied off with a piece of rope. Whatever this was, it definitely hadn't been at the camp last night. As far as he knew, this didn't belong to anyone here. Intrigued, Harry untied the bundle, revealing its contents.

"Commander!" he called over his shoulder. "You better get over here." Still tending to Seven inside the cave, it took Chakotay a few moments to hear Harry's voice and emerge from within.

"What's wrong?" he asked. His eyes automatically began to scan the sky, hoping that Harry had spotted a rescue team on the horizon and that they would soon be out of here.

"Look what I found." Harry held out the bundle for Chakotay to see. Enclosed in the torn piece of fabric was a handful of tools the Kalrussians had stolen from the away team during their several attempts to pillage the contents of the shuttle.

 **Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, make sure to leave a review and check out my other fic: Adjustment Period.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

 _Waves crashed loudly against the sand. It was a soothing sound that rolled over the beach as the water collided with land before being sucked out to sea again. The cool water swirled around Kathryn's ankles as she walked barefoot in the surf, the occasional drop splashing up along the bottom of her capris. As much as she loved being in space and especially loved Indiana, there was something magical about the beach that neither place possessed. This was the only place she truly felt the ability to relax, no matter how stressed she was. The smell of saltwater and sand permeated every fiber of her being and floated around her as she continued to walk, eventually deviating from the surf to walk amongst the sand dunes. The hot sand clung to her wet feet, but she didn't notice; she'd wash them off later. Right now, she felt inexplicably drawn to the dunes that rolled along the edge of the beach roughly fifty meters from the shoreline._

 _Kathryn knew this place and why she was here. In a way, the mere fact that her mind brought her here was a sense of comfort. With any luck, she would have some answers as to what was going on with her away team. Normally she looked to science and reason during difficult times, while Chakotay turned to his spirituality, which is why they complemented each other so well. If her subconscious mind brought her to this place, then clearly there was something here that would help her bring the away team home._

 _As Kathryn walked along the dunes, the wind slowly picked up. It was a gentle wind that swirled around her, spreading the wonderfully relaxing smell of the ocean all around her and tugging her hair loose from where she had tucked it behind her ears. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, allowing the salty air to fill her lungs to capacity before slowly letting out her breath. When she opened her eyes, there was a small snake coiled at her feet as if it appeared by magic. Although she knew the creature was harmless, she still took a small step back in surprise, snakes weren't exactly commonplace on the beach._

 _The snake tilted its head as if to say, "There's nothing for you to worry about." With a smile on her face, Kathryn crouched down on the balls of her feet and tentatively reached out to stroke the snake's small head. It closed its eyes and leaned into her touch. For a second, Kathryn was reminded of Mollie, who acted the same way when she pet her. The realization brought about a pang of homesickness to her that she wasn't expecting. Just as quickly as the homesickness appeared, it was gone. Intrigued by the snake, Kathryn sat properly on the ground and ignored the fact that sand now covered large portions of her lower body._

" _You're not usually who I see here," Kathryn commented as she continued to run her fingers over the smooth scales of the snake. The scales felt soft in a unique way against her touch. Kathryn was used to farm animals with soft fur, not reptiles, but she could definitely understand their appeal. "Who's animal guide are you?" While her knowledge of animal guides were strictly limited, she had never before heard of one appearing to someone it didn't belong to. A sudden realization hit her. "You're Chakotay's aren't you?" The snake's tail twitched as if to say yes. "Are they alright? Why didn't they meet us?" she pressed desperately. They were ridiculous questions, she knew that the snake wouldn't answer her, but this was the closest she'd come to hearing from any of her away team in over a week. No sooner had Kathryn asked her questions did the snake disappear and the beach melt away._

"Tuvok to the Captain." Tuvok's voice jolted Kathryn from her sleep suddenly. Her legs flailed as she jumped, dropping the book in her hand to the floor with a dull _thud_. Drawing in a deep breath, she ran her hand over her face and looked around. She'd fallen asleep reading on her chaise again; it was starting to become a nightly habit that she needed to break. "Lieutenant Tuvok to Captain Janeway. Please respond."

Still half asleep, Kathryn tapped her comm badge and said, "Go ahead, Mr. Tuvok."

"Please report to the bridge immediately." Tuvok's deadpan voice made it impossible to figure out what was wrong, but it couldn't be good if she was being summoned to the bridge in the middle of the night. One thing Starfleet hadn't prepared her for when training to become a captain was all the late night summons for all sorts of emergencies. After seven years, however, she felt that she was finally starting to get used to them. Usually she and Chakotay traded off, almost like parents taking care of a child during the night. With her First Officer still missing, however, she was the one constantly being called to the bridge.

Letting out a tired groan, Kathryn pushed herself to her feet. On her way to her bedroom, she snatched the discarded book off the floor and put it on her nightstand before digging through her closet for a fresh uniform. Whatever was going on on the bridge, she figured it would probably keep her occupied until the start of her shift, so she might as well get dressed. With enough coffee, she should be able to function like a normal human being. It was a struggle for her to keep her eyes open as she shed her dirty uniform and forced her exhausted limbs into a fresh one. Once again, she was changing out of a dirty uniform and into a clean one without changing into the requisite pajamas in between. She had to get better at changing into pajamas and actually making it to bed, not sleeping on the couch or chaise with an open book or PADD clutched in her hands. In her mind, she could hear Chakotay chastising her for not taking better care of herself, just like she had done to him before he left on the away mission. With any luck, she'd hear him do that again soon.

Thoughts of Chakotay sent memories of her dream rushing back to Kathryn. She froze, her fingers still buttoning her tunic. How could she have forgotten that dream? It had just happened. She had no way of knowing if that was Chakotay's animal guide who visited her. It was probably nothing, just a dream about the beach with a snake, as strange as that may sound. She was a scientist, she had to look at things logically, which meant the dream she'd had was little more than a strange dream. Figuring that the sleep deprivation and absence of Chakotay was driving her to wild conclusions, Kathryn finished buttoning her tunic. A quick glance in the mirror told her that she looked as awful as she felt, but she couldn't exactly take her time getting ready this morning, she had to get to the bridge. She ran a brush through her hair and quickly applied some makeup to hide the dark bags under her eyes. The mini beauty routine helped with her appearance but did absolutely nothing to help with how she felt; just like most days, it was going to be long day full of endless work. She would have to report to the bridge as is, she didn't have time to waste on unimportant things like this. Duty called.

The corridor was blissfully quiet and empty, allowing Kathryn to continue to force herself awake as she walked briskly to the turbolift. The dim lights that indicated the late hour made it hard to wake up as she forced her eyes to stay open. Sighing, she ran her hand over her face again. Chakotay had been right, she desperately needed a vacation. Perhaps when he returned, he would be able to take over the ship for a day or two while she recovered from his prolonged absence; she might even go so far as to book some time on the holodeck. Kathryn entered the turbolift.

"Deck one," she announced sleepily. As the turbolift began to move, she took advantage of the quick break to lean against the wall and close her eyes. No sooner had she did so did the lift begin to slow down. The last thing she wanted was for her crew to see her so exhausted, so she forced herself to stand upright and put on a strong expression as the doors slid open.

As soon as Kathryn set foot the bridge, Tuvok sprang up from his seat in Chakotay's chair. No matter who was in charge of the bridge, they always sat in Chakotay's chair, not hers, out of respect, not that she would have minded if they sat in her chair while they ran the bridge. Although Tuvok's Vulcan features gave off no emotions, Kathryn knew him well enough to sense that something was wrong; she could see it in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Mr. Tuvok?" she asked hastily.

"Captain, this would probably be something best discussed in private," he suggested. She glanced around the bridge. Based on the reactions of the crew, she knew that they all knew something she didn't know. Anxiety began to well up inside her. Whatever it was, she knew it couldn't be good.

"By all means." She motioned towards her ready room. Tuvok took the invitation to exit the bridge and enter the ready room. Kathryn followed, and the door slid firmly behind them, giving them the privacy to discuss whatever had summoned her here in the middle of the night.

Once in the comfort of her ready room, Kathryn made an immediate beeline for the replicator. She'd just had a cup of coffee a few hours ago before falling asleep on her chaise, but she knew she was going to need one right away to prepare her for whatever Tuvok had to say.

"Coffee, black," she ordered sharply. The blessed beverage appeared, prompting her to snatch it up. As soon as the smell floated up to her nose, she instantly felt more awake. She took a long drink, which also helped perk her up a little after just a few hours of sleep. "What is it, Tuvok?"

"We picked up three distress calls." All thoughts of coffee and exhaustion immediately fled Kathryn's mind as she abandoned her cup on the small table in front of the couch. At first, she was excited about hearing from the away team after so long, but the sound of three distress calls didn't sound reassuring at all. One distress call would have been enough to put her on edge, so things must be incredibly serious if they sent out three.

"What did they say?" she pressed. Fear was written across her face. As Captain, she knew it was her job to keep those emotions in check, especially during such a situation, but this news made it incredibly difficult. Four of her most trusted officers were missing, and two of them she considered to be her close personal friends. She had been hoping to hear from the away team, but not like this. It was probably a good thing that they were already on their way back to the planet. After waiting for a little over twenty-four hours, _Voyager_ had turned back to meet them with the hopes of finding them on the way with some sort of ridiculous story that Tom would regale them with about why they were late. There would be teasing on the part of several crew members, B'Elanna would pretend to be angry with her husband for his tardiness, but ultimately everyone would be relieved to see the away team return safe and sound. With the news of three distress calls, however, that reality seemed highly unlikely.

"We were only able to decypher part of the messages," Tuvok replied. Although he felt no emotions himself about the current situation, he could sympathize with how Kathryn was currently feeling. Already anticipating the next order, he approached the panel on the wall of the ready room and brought up all three messages for Kathryn to hear. She needed to hear them for herself to fully understand the situation.

Static filled the air and surrounded both Tuvok and Kathryn as the first distress call pumped out of the speakers hidden the bulkheads around the ready room. It was just like the original distress call that summoned the away team to the planet in the first place: difficult to understand without massive amounts of work from operations.

"Mayday…" Harry's voice crackled over the speaker. Kathryn kept her eyes trained firmly on the ground as she listened with extreme concentration to the message. "...stranded without….and...mayday" Static consumed the message, making it impossible to make out the rest of it.

"Play the next one," Kathryn ordered the second the first distress call ended. While she kept her voice even, inside she was already playing through several scenarios about what would cause the away team to send out a distress call, and none of them were particularly pleasant. These were four of her most competent officers here, they were capable of handling countless worst case scenarios. Once again, static filtered through the speakers until Harry's voice finally broke through the white noise.

"Away team...emergency...medical emergency." Just as quickly as the message began, it ended, leaving them with more questions than answers. Despite the Doctor's complaints, Tom was an extremely capable medic who should be able to handle a wide variety of medical issues, especially with the equipment aboard the Delta Flyer.

"Were you able to clean up anymore of the message to figure out what the medical emergency is?" Kathryn demanded.

"Negative, Captain. This is all Operations was able to do."

' "Play the third one." There was more static.

" _Voyager_ …" There was an extreme desperation in Harry's voice that hadn't been there in the other two messages. In his previous messages, he sounded frustrated and worn out but otherwise relatively fine, but this one was entirely different. "Immediate evacuation….is going to die. I repeat...to die." Wide eyed with horror, Kathryn's head shot up. What had happened? She had sent four of her best officers on this away mission, and it was supposed to be little more than a simple relief effort, nothing should have caused someone to lose his or her life. Her face hardened with determination as she did her best to banish her emotions. Right now, she needed to be a leader, ready to make command decisions to save her crew, there would be time for self-pity and emotions later.

"How far away from the planet are we?" she snapped as she paced the room nervously. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making the coffee unnecessary, and she needed do something with all her pent up energy.

"At maximum warp we will be able to reach the planet in approximately eight hours," Tuvok replied. As usual, his voice was calm and, in a way, relaxing. It helped Kathryn feel slightly better about the situation. Like Chakotay, he was always a calming force in her life, which was necessary given the current situation with the away team. "Good, I want us at maximum warp the entire way. Have Operations continue working on those messages to clean them up as much as possible. See if you can communicate with the away team. I know it's a long shot, but I want you to try. I want to know exactly what we're walking into. I also want the Doctor brought up to speed. If it's really a life or death situation, I want him on the ground when we land." Confusion flashed across Tuvok's face. He had been able to follow the Captain's plan up until now.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not sending another shuttle down to this planet, it's too risky." Kathryn had no idea where this was coming from, call it a gut feeling, but she knew that sending another shuttle down to rescue the away team would be too much of a risk for everyone involved. "We're going to land _Voyager_."

"Captain, landing _Voyager_ puts the entire crew at risk. Sending a shuttle down is a far more logical choice." Kathryn put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She knew he was right, he was almost always right, but, as a Vulcan, there were some things he just didn't understand.

"Tuvok, while I appreciate your sentiments, something in my gut tells me that I need to land the ship, so that's what I'm going to do. The shields are much stronger, and the weapons far more powerful."

"Do you think we're going into a hostile situation?" He raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I don't know," Kathryn admitted. They were essentially going into this situation blind and therefore needed to anticipate a wide variety of situations. "But I want to be prepared for anything. Right now, that means going to maximum warp to get us there as quickly as possible. Bring Tactical up to speed and run through a series of drills. I hope I'm just being paranoid, but one member of my crew is already critically injured and I'll be damned if anything happens to anyone else on this ship." They began to walk towards the bridge once again. "And that means you have the bridge."

"Where are you going?" Tuvok knew there was no way the Captain was going to go back to sleep after receiving such distressing news, but he couldn't figure out why she wasn't going to remain on the bridge with him.

"To wake B'Elanna. She needs to know what's going on."

The sound of the doorbell floated through B'Elanna's head and permeated her dream. Thinking it was a part of her dream, she ignored it at first and rolled over, clutching her pillow tightly to her chest. The bell rang again. Although she was aware of the fact that someone was at the door, she once again ignored it; sleep was more important to the exhausted young mother. The door bell rang for a third time, this time rousing B'Elanna from her sleep. Her head shot up. Bleary eyed, she looked around and tried to figure out what was going on. Thankfully, Miral was still fast asleep in her cradle at the foot of the bed. For a moment, B'Elanna couldn't figure out what had pulled her out of her sleep. Suddenly, it hit her: the doorbell. She glanced at the clock, it was nearly 0300 hours. There had to be some sort of emergency to cause someone to appear at her door at this hour. She scrambled out of bed dashed across the floor to answer the door before whoever was there rang the doorbell again and woke Miral.

Kathryn was starting to get worried. It wasn't like B'Elanna to not answer the door, especially after several rings. She contemplated letting herself in when the door finally slid open.

As soon as B'Elanna saw the Captain, she blurted out in a relieved voice, "You've heard from Tom." Kathryn sighed. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation for her to have.

"Lanna, may I come in?" In an instant, B'Elanna's heart sank. If the away team was back or there was good news, the Captain would just come out and say it. She knew her well enough to know something was wrong. She could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. Something was definitely wrong.

"I, uhh, Miral's asleep," she stammered as she motioned over her shoulder into the dark quarters. In her stressed, sleep-deprived mind, her immediate reaction was to look after her daughter's well being, plus it would be difficult to get her back to sleep if she was awoken.

"I'll be quiet, I promise, but this is a conversation we need to have inside." B'Elanna did her best to keep her expression neutral, but her heart pounded anxiously in her chest as she stood to the side and granted the Captain entrance to her quarters.

Since Miral was sleeping, they kept the lights low, giving the serious conversation an ominous glow. Kathryn immediately made herself at home on the couch across from B'Elanna. The Captain leaned forward intently and tried to think of the best way to say this.

"We've picked up three messages from the away team," she started slowly, making sure to pick her words carefully. Right away, B'Elanna's eyes lit up.

"What did they say?" she asked eagerly. "Are they alright? Why didn't they meet us? Are they on their way?" In her eagerness, B'Elanna's voice began to rise to its full volume. Kathryn raised her hand to calm her down, not only so she could talk but also so she didn't risk waking Miral.

"It's complicated, and we know very little," she explained as gently as possible. "The atmospheric interference has made it impossible to hear the entire message. All we know is they're stranded and there's some sort of medical emergency."

"Who's hurt?" B'Elanna interjected. She immediately berated herself. If she wanted to know what was going on, then she needed to stop interrupting the Captain and let her speak.

"We don't know." B'Elanna had the feeling that there was more. She could see in the Captain's eyes that there was something more, and she was trying to find the best way to say it. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest; it was so loud she was almost certain the Captain could hear it.

Kathryn had no idea why she was struggling so much to tell B'Elanna what was on the third distress call. She'd had to have so many difficult conversations over the years with countless crew members, but there was something about this one that made it more difficult. Perhaps she would feel better if she had more information, something more than one of the members of the away team was critically injured.

"Captain, what is it?" B'Elanna pressed. Kathryn reached out and took the Lieutenant's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. B'Elanna knew this couldn't be good.

"We've already jumped to maximum warp, and we should reach the planet in approximately eight hours." She was stalling, and both women knew it.

"Captain, what's going on?" B'Elanna repeated. Her voice had began to rise with anxiety once again. This whole nonsense of beating around the bush was going to drive her insane. She needed Kathryn to just come out with it before she lost her mind.

"The last distress call said that someone is critically injured. We don't know who-"

"Who made the distress call?"

"Harry made all three distress calls. All we can assume for certain is that it wasn't him who is injured." B'Elanna pulled her hand free from Kathryn's and jumped to her feet. She paced nervously in front of the Captain. Her mind immediately scattered in a million directions. Tom could be critically injured, and there was nothing she could do about it. She needed to know for certain that he was safe, she wouldn't be able to rest. Of course, if Tom was alright, that meant that Chakotay ran the risk of being the one injured. That thought made her feel sick to her stomach as well. Two of the most important people in her life could be dying, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

"Well what are we doing about it?" she snapped. In her agitation, her voice began to rise once again. "Have you tried communicating with them? Do you know what kind of medical emergency it is? Have you spoken to the Doctor?" Kathryn got to her feet and grabbed B'Elanna by the shoulders, forcing the young woman to look at her properly.

"We are doing everything in our power to get there as quickly as possible," she promised. "We are trying to get a message to the away team, but there's too much interference in the atmosphere. The Doctor is being brought up to speed, and we're getting there as quickly as possible. We're going to land _Voyager_ on the planet's surface and rescue them."

"So all we can do for the next eight hours is wait?" B'Elanna exclaimed. The loud outburst was finally enough to wake Miral, who began to cry for attention in the next room. B'Elanna glared angrily at the Captain for a second as if blaming her for waking the infant before turning on her heels and retrieving her daughter.

As soon as Miral was safe in her mother's arms, her crying stopped. After being roused from her sleep, all she wanted was to be held. B'Elanna gently bounced the infant in her arms and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She'd been looking forward to Tom returning, and now there was the possibility that he was critically injured. B'Elanna buried her face in the soft pillow of her daughter's hair and inhaled the sweet smell that was uniquely her own. Miral grabbed at her mother's tank top with her small fingers as if to hold on for dear life as she was carried back to where the Captain waited.

"B'Elanna, we are doing everything in our power to get the away team back safely," she assured. "I'm just as worried as you are. I care deeply about every single one of them, and I want them all back safely."

"Well you sure have a funny way of showing it," B'Elanna snapped while glaring angrily at her. "How can you be so calm? A member of your crew is on that planet and possibly dying, and you're inexplicably calm."

"Don't take my calmness for lack of concern," Kathryn warned. "I came here because I promised you that I'd tell you as soon as we heard from the away team. I'm sorry, B'Elanna, I wish I more information for you." With a small, sad smile, she reached out to stroke Miral's hair affectionately. "I'd tell you to get some rest, but I don't think either of us will be getting anymore sleep tonight." Kathryn reached out and put a reassuring hand on B'Elanna's shoulder. She wished she had something better to tell her, she could see the concern in her eyes. "I have to report back to the bridge. If you need me, you know where to find me."

As Kathryn turned to leave, B'Elanna called out, "Captain?" Nearly at the door, the Captain turned around. "Thanks for telling me." As frustrated as she was with the situation, B'Elanna knew that she shouldn't hold it against Kathryn; she wasn't at fault for any of this. She had kept her word, and B'Elanna couldn't hold it against her that the news wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"We'll get them back, Lanna...all of them." Although they were just words, they had an oddly reassuring effect on her. She felt foolish for doubting the Captain. If anyone was going to get the away team back in one piece, it would be Kathryn Janeway.

With her beloved coffee cup in hand, Kathryn paced the bridge anxiously. She was surprised she hadn't worn a hole in the floor from how much she'd walked the length of the bridge. They were still an hour and a half away from the planet, which meant an hour and a half of not knowing who was hurt or who serious it was; it was all a stressful mystery to everyone on board. Operations had been unable to clean up any of the distress calls any more, which meant they had no more information that they already had. Guilt ravaged Kathryn. She shouldn't have sent her people down to that damn planet, not when they knew they couldn't communicate with them and definitely not when they left orbit for so long, the trade negotiations they'd engaged in could have waited. This was all her fault. Anything that happened to the away team rested squarely on her shoulders, and she would have to live with the possibly permanent consequences of her recklessness. As much as she always wanted to help other alien races, it wasn't worth the lives of her own crew. Growing frustrated with the lack of information, Kathryn slammed her coffee cup down on the small table next to her chair.

"I'll be in my ready room," she announced before stalking across the bridge and disappearing into the privacy of her ready room where she hoped she would be able to collect her thoughts..

Once alone, Kathryn threw herself down behind her desk and buried her face in her hands. Trying to keep a professional facade in front of her crew, paired with her lack of sleep, left her feeling both emotionally and physically drained. She ran through each scenario about what could have happened to the away team through her mind like a horror movie she couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried. She wanted each member of the away team to come back safely, but she knew that that wasn't happening. Something was wrong with one of them, and she hated not knowing which one it was so they could prepare accordingly. She prayed that each one was safe, but with each prayer, that meant that she was mentally condemning another one of the away team to some sort of horrible, unknown fate. At least she knew that Harry was alright, but that still left Chakotay, Tom and Seven in question. In addition to a million worse case scenarios that plagued her mind, Kathryn couldn't help but hear B'Elanna's stinging accusation that she didn't care. Of course she cared. She would feel guilty if this happened to any member of her crew, but she had sent four of her closest friends down to that planet without a second thought, and now she had to deal with the consequences of her actions.

The sound of the doorbell shattered Kathryn's thoughts. Her head shot up. Aware of a few tears in her eyes, she quickly swiped them away. Despite how she felt, she was still the Captain and had to give the impression of calmness and level headedness to every member of the crew.

"Come in," she called. The door slid open, revealing Tuvok. With his arms folded neatly behind his back, he entered the ready room. As always, he was the picture of calmness and and level headedness.

"Captain, we should debrief the rescue team," he suggested. Kathryn got to her feet and crossed the room.

"Of course." Tuvok didn't move. Now that he was closer to the Captain, he could see the remnants of the tears in her eyes.

"Captain, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she insisted. Despite her assurances, Tuvok didn't look convinced. He raised an eyebrow skeptically. She sighed. She should have known better than try and act like she was fine in front of him. "Alright, I'm worried about the away team," she admitted. "What if we're too late, Tuvok?"

"Captain, Commander Chakotay is a strong leader, and Lieutenant Paris an able medic. Even if one of them is the one who is injured, the other will undoubtedly take charge and lead the away team. I am confident that they will do everything in their power to keep everyone on the away team safe until our arrival." Although Tuvok's words weren't exactly reassuring, they still managed to make her feel better, but only just a little. She would only feel at peace again when she had all of her crew back on _Voyager_ safe and in one piece.

Kathryn tapped her comm badge and ordered, "Doctor and Lieutenant Torres to the conference room." With the exception of herself and Tuvok, they was the only Senior Staff left on the starship. Hopefully, that would all change in a few hours.

"On my way," B'Elanna said hastily over the comm system. That was good enough for Kathryn, who exited her ready room, crossed the bridge and entered the conference room where she sat at the head of the table with Tuvok right behind her. Within moments of sitting down, B'Elanna appeared. Just one look at her was all Kathryn needed to know that she hadn't slept since her late night visit. She felt awful for being the reason for her lack of sleep, but it had been a necessary conversation. "How long until we get there?" B'Elanna demanded as she sat down at her normal seat. Her chair automatically swiveled in the direction of Tom's chair. Normally they sat with their chairs turned ever so slightly towards each other, usually with their knees resting comfortably against each other's beneath the table. It was subtle sign of their marriage that the Senior Officers took as normal behavior in their meetings.

"We will enter orbit in approximately one hour and ten minutes," Tuvok replied. He sounded so calm and matter of fact that B'Elanna wanted to punch him; sometimes he could be so obnoxious with his Vulcan mannerisms. "We should land on the planet shortly thereafter." The Doctor entered the conference room and took a seat at the table as well. Everyone was here. It was strange to have such a small meeting of the Senior Staff.

"Doctor, how are you doing preparing sickbay?" Kathryn asked.

"I'd feel better if I knew who was injured and in what way," the Doctor replied in a somewhat annoyed tone.

"You and me both," she muttered under her breath. "I want you prepared for every eventuality, just to play it safe. When we land, you and Mr. Tuvok will go out and find the away team. Do what you have to to get them all back in one piece."

"How do we know it's even safe to move whoever is injured?" B'Elanna questioned.

"Until we know otherwise, we will assume that that isn't the case. I know it's hard, but we need to stay optimistic. We're going to land _Voyager_ , the Doctor and Mr. Tuvok are going to rescue the away team, and with any luck, we'll be on our way in a few hours."

"Captain, I would like to be a part of the rescue team," B'Elanna requested. Kathryn sighed. She had been expecting that from the moment she told her they were on their way to rescue to the away team. In all honesty, she was surprised it took her this long to make the request.

"B'Elanna-"

"Don't B'Elanna me. I need to do something to help. I'm not just going to sit around and wait for you to bring Tom and Chakotay back!" She was also worried about Harry and, in a way, Seven, but Tom and Chakotay were close to her heart; Tom was her husband and Chakotay was practically family. The thought of something happening to either of them made her feel sick to her stomach with anxiety.

"Lieutenant Torres, you are too emotionally involved," Tuvok pointed out bluntly, causing her blood to boil even more than it already was.

"Of course I'm emotional, that's my husband and Chakotay down there. For all we know, one of them is dying!" B'Elanna exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. Her head whipped around to face the Captain. "Please, Captain, let me join the rescue team." Kathryn looked at Tuvok and the Doctor.

"Go prepare for the rescue mission," she ordered them. Both men took that as an invitation to leave. Even though the real source of her anger was the Captain, B'Elanna glared at them. She felt that she should be preparing to leave as well.

Once they were alone, Kathryn leaned back in her chair with a sigh. For a moment, her collected facade melted away to that of one under an unbelieveable amount of pressure. Very rarely had B'Elanna seen her like this. Even under the most stressful of situations, she always seemed completely collected. With everything going on, however, there was only so much a woman could take before snapping, and she was dangerously close to snapping. Kathryn understood B'Elanna's frustration, and she would feel the same way if she was in her shoes, but she had to do her best to put her emotions aside and think about the entire crew as a whole.

"Are you going to lecture me about the chain of command?" B'Elanna snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest and glowered with overwhelming hostility towards the Captain.

"No." Kathryn's voice was surprisingly calm as she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm going to tell you that I don't know what I'm sending Tuvok and the Doctor into on that planet, and I refuse to put the life of Miral's other parent on the line, no matter how much you beg." B'Elanna's gaze momentarily softened. She had no idea that that was the Captain's logic. She wasn't doing it out of spite, she was doing it to protect Miral.

"I, I don't know what to say," she stammered as she attempted to collect her thoughts. She'd been fully prepared to go down swinging, her mind already coming up with a dozen hurtful insults to hurl at the Captain in an effort to convince her to send her on the rescue team. The last thing she'd been prepared for was compassion and such a candid admission.

"We're going to get Tom, Chakotay, Seven and Harry back here safely, that's a promise. What I need you to do is return to engineering and prepare to land this ship so we can do that as quickly as possible. I need you here; Miral needs you here."

"Aye, Captain," B'Elanna relented with a sigh of frustration. Although she felt slightly better about the Captain's decision, it didn't change the fact that she still wanted to help rescue the away team; she needed to feel that she was doing something more than helping land the ship, which she'd done what felt like a dozen times. With the lives of her husband and closest friend on the line, she felt like helping in engineering simply wasn't enough.

Just as Tuvok predicted, _Voyager_ came into view of the planet in exactly an hour and ten minutes. From her seat in the center of the bridge, Kathryn watched it appear on the view screen. Roughly the same size as Earth, the planet appeared to be made up mostly of large, tan continents separated by murky, dark oceans. Grey clouds swirled across the planet, somewhat obstructing the view of several of the continents. From a distance, it looked like a relatively harmless planet, but there was obviously something wrong with it if the away team was stranded there with someone on death's door. The sight of the planet caused excitement and apprehension rippled through Kathryn. Soon she would have her entire crew back, or at least that's what she hoped, there was no way to know what had happened to the away team since the transmission of the last distress call. Kathryn banished all thoughts of worst case scenarios from her mind; she had to force herself to stay optimistic, no matter how difficult it may be.

"Captain, we're ready to enter the upper atmosphere."

"Very good. Blue alert." The lighting on the bridge dimmed as blue streaks lit up along the walls and ceiling, indicating the change in status. All across the starship, the crew scurried to their stations, eagerly awaiting their orders as _Voyager_ began to descend into the upper atmosphere. "I want you to land approximately three kilometers from the distress call we received," she instructed to the ensign at the conn.

"Aye, Sir."

"Descent course plotted and ready to go."

"Atmospheric controls at standby, landing mechanisms ready to go, inertial dampers at maximum." Kathryn nodded. Despite the fact that it had been several months since they'd last put _Voyager_ down for maintenance on a small planetoid, everything ran smoothly. Every member of the crew knew exactly what was expected of him or her, and they did so even without being given instructions. In a way, it was a relief to Kathryn, who was far too stressed and exhausted to think straight. She couldn't ask for a better crew.

"Continue to scan the surrounding area for lifesigns," she ordered. "Maybe once we're inside the atmosphere, the interference will let up a little bit, and we'll get a better sense of what's going on."

"Aye, Captain."

"Bring her down gently." Dark clouds swirled before the viewscreen, blocking their view of what was going on. Slowly, _Voyager_ continued to descend through the atmosphere. Without warning, the starship jerked forward, nearly knocking Kathryn out of her seat.

"The remnants of a plasma storm are still in the atmosphere," Tuvok announced from his position at the rear of the bridge. "They will make landing more difficult."

"I don't care," Kathryn insisted. "Keep going." They'd come this far, and she wasn't going to let something as trivial as a plasma storm stop them now. The starship continued to tremble and lurch as it lost altitude and came closer to the planet's surface. The surface began to materialize in front of everyone on the viewscreen. Tan, barren landscape stretched endlessly in all directions.

"Captain, scanners are able to pick up something about a kilometer away from our landing coordinates," Tuvok said. Her head whipped around.

"What is it?"

"I am not sure. All I know is that it is manmade."

"Continue to scan." She turned her attention back to the viewscreen and the situation at hand. They still had to land this ship. "Extend the landing struts. Get ready to release inertial dampers and make sure they're adjusted to match the planet's gravity." The crew scrambled to follow the orders as quickly as possible. Beneath them, _Voyager_ shook slightly as it adjusted to the odd sensation of losing altitude. Mentally preparing herself, Kathryn tensed. The starship shuddered as its landing struts came in contact with the planet's surface. They had finally landed.

 **Author's Note:** Love it? Hate it? I hope it's the former. Leave a review and let me know!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

Still trying to process what they saw, Harry and Chakotay stared at the tools in disbelief. This bundle of tools definitely hadn't been there the night before, they'd made sure to grab everything before the plasma storm hit, and there was also no doubt in their minds that these were some of the tools stolen from their shuttle when they first arrived. Harry had used several of them himself on previous away missions. Chakotay took the bundle to get a better look, just to make sure he was seeing things correctly. In the back of his mind, he wondered if he was seeing things; he was dehydrated, malnourished and sleep deprived, so it wouldn't be a stretch for him to also be delusional. If he was, then he and Harry were sharing the same delusion, because they were both seeing the same thing. Sensing that something was wrong, Tom cross the camp to figure out what was going on.

"What's that?" he asked as he materialized next to the two men.

Rather than attempt to cover up the discovery, Chakotay replied, "Tools from the shuttle."

"What?" Tom immediately snatched the bundle out of Harry's hands to get a better look. Sure enough, they were exactly what Chakotay said, not that he had ever doubted the First Officer, he just didn't expect anything from their shuttle to reappear. The concept of some of their stolen supplies being returned sounded like everything the Kalrussians were against. Tom turned around to face Notaxi and Henan, as if they could explain what was going on. Caught off guard, Henan stopped preparing the fire and stood up.

"Are you sure?" he demanded. Anger flashed across his face. It was fleeting, but Chakotay still saw it. He glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye to see if he had seen it as well. If he had, his expression didn't give it away. While this was definitely unexpected, there was no reason for anger. If anything, this was cause for celebration. These tools might be exactly what they need to get off this planet once and for all.

"Yeah, these are definitely our tools," Tom replied with surprise. It helped being the only Federation ship for tens of thousands of lightyears, it made it easy for them to identify their belongings, especially in instances such as this.

"Let me see," Notaxi insisted as he crossed the camp to get a better look. Chakotay held open the bundle for Notaxi to look at. When the Ighanian tried to grab the bundle, Chakotay quickly closed it. He had no why idea, it was just instinct. Now that he had these tools back, he wasn't going to let them out of the hands of either himself or his crew, just to play it safe.

"They're just tools from our shuttle," he said with surprising authority as he eyed the Ighanian cautiously. He turned to Harry, thrusting the makeshift bundle into the Ensign's hands. "I want you to take these tools and see what you can do with the comm system on the shuttle." He wasn't sure if the tools would be enough to fix anything on the shuttle, but it was the first glimmer of hope they'd had in days.

"Aye, Sir."

Harry turned to walk away, but Chakotay called after him, "Take the mobile regenerator with you too. See what you can do." It was a long shot. There were simply too many parts missing from the lifesaving device to get it to work, but Harry didn't have the heart to tell his commanding officer. Perhaps he would be able to salvage some parts from the shuttle to get the regenerator to work now that he had tools, he could actually get some useful parts off the Delta Flyer, they had infused it with Borg components after all. Chakotay had to hold on to some hope, no matter how fruitless it may be, especially after his conversation with Seven last night. The reappearance of the tools might be exactly what his spirit guide had been talking about in the first place. With his newfound orders, Harry took the tools and mobile regenerator and headed up to the shuttle for another day of attempting to get the technology to work.

With Harry gone, Chakotay returned to Seven's side. Ever since their late night conversation, she had barely moved. Out of extreme paranoia, he couldn't help but press two fingers to the side her neck. He hated that that was his first instict, but he knew that she was barely hanging on by a thread. Seven had a pulse, but it was incredibly weak. She wasn't going to last much longer. He stroked her cheek affectionately. Her skin still felt like fire beneath his tanned fingertips. There was only so long a person's body could sustain itself with a fever this high before finally shutting down, and he knew it. While he was grateful for the return of the tools, he would rather the parts for the mobile regenerator or some of the medical supplies returned. He mindlessly twirled a strand of limp blonde hair around his fingers and thought about what he could do to help her. Unfortunately, nothing immediately came to mind, but that wouldn't stop him from giving up.

"I'm going to get you back to _Voyager_ ," he promised, making sure to keep his voice low so only Seven could hear, if she was awake that is. "And we're going to have lots more date nights." He had no idea why he added that last part, it just came out. Once he said it, however, he realized how desperate he was for another date night. He wanted nothing more than to sweep Seven off her feet with romantic gestures to show her how much she meant to him. All he wanted was a chance to show her. He grasped her hand in his and brought it to his lips. It was the only romantic gesture he could do right now.

Tom took a seat next to Chakotay inside the cave. After his conversation with Seven last night, the First Officer refused to leave her side, even for more than a few minutes. He needed to be there in case anything went wrong. He glanced up at Tom for a split second before his attention turned back to Seven's unconscious form.

"How is she?" Tom asked.

"Her pulse is weakening, her fever's still high, and I can't wake her," Chakotay replied. His voice was tight with emotion. Tom pulled out the tricorder and scanned Seven. Everything Chakotay had just said was true. Without a medical tricorder, however, that was all he could figure out. "Her body is also rejecting her implants at a much faster pace." To make his point, Chakotay picked up her hand and pushed up the sleeve of her tunic. Deep jagged gashes ran the length of her forearm, exposing metal underneath. If she wasn't taken care of, and quickly, her implants would cease to function, and her body would simply shut down.

"It won't be long until the implants are damaged beyond repair," Tom commented. He hadn't meant to sound so negative, it just came out. As soon as the words left his lips, he snapped his mouth shut and told himself that he needed to think more before speaking. He could see in Chakotay's eyes that he was barely holding on at this point, no matter how much he tried to act like he was in complete control of this stressful. He was on the verge of becoming a broken man. Tom couldn't blame him. It had been B'Elanna who had been in such a state, then he would undoubtedly act the same way, it was a basic instinct for a man in love.

"We'll get her back before that happens." Chakotay didn't sound like he believed his own words. He was just saying them because that was what was expected of him. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to remain optimistic, especially when he saw Seven on death's door.

Sticking by Chakotay's side for moral support and Seven's side for medical support, Tom glanced over at Henan and Notaxi, who were standing side by side on the far side of the camp, just barely in his line of vision. The Ighanians seemed to be caught up in a pretty heated discussion of some sort. Henan motioned angrily at his comrade while Notaxi shook his head and shot some sort of angry retort that only seemed to cause Henan to grow even more angry. Unfortunately, the pair were too far away for him to hear what they were talking about. Out of curiosity, he strained to hear their conversation. He didn't mean to pry, but if something was going on with them, he felt like they had a right to know since they were helping each other out. After a few minutes, Tom gave up and instead got to his feet to get a cool cloth for Seven's forehead. It wasn't much, but it was the least he could do to help her. He wished that all those years of medical training with the Doctor had prepared him for a situation like this, but he'd never thought he'd be stranded on a mostly deserted planet with a dying crewman and no medical supplies.

Unfortunately, the tools provided by the mysterious benefactor weren't exactly what Harry needed to fix either the shuttle and the mobile regerator, but he was able to do some minor repairs on the Delta Flyer. It wasn't much, but it was something that helped him feel useful around here. He wished there was something more that he could do to help. Last night, he'd inadvertently overheard the conversation between Seven and Chakotay. He hadn't meant to, he heard voices and wanted to make sure everything was alright. While it had been reassuring that Seven had been awake and apparently lucid, even if it had only been for a few minutes, now he knew that she had given up. That wasn't a good sign. She was a fighter, she'd been assimilated by the Borg, manipulated into returning to the Borg, nearly forced to fight to the death and had countless other mishaps over the years, and she'd always come away with flying colors. Now, she might die because some aliens stole her mobile regenerator and scrapped it for parts. It wasn't how she deserved to go, or anyone for that matter.

Harry had been so wrapped up in his work and thoughts about Seven's condition that he didn't immediately notice a small light blinking on the communication console. When he did notice, he couldn't figure out who could have possibly left them a message, there was still too much interference in the atmosphere for any message to really get in or out. Confused, he sat at the console and pulled up the message. With any luck, _Voyager_ had found a way to get a message through the interference in the atmosphere and left them a message telling the away team that they were on their way. Hopefully, this entire away mission would be over shortly, making it nothing more than a horrible memory. At first, there was nothing but static and interference when Harry tried to play the message. He was about to give up when an image materialized on the screen. It wasn't _Voyager_ , the message had been recorded inside the shuttle.

Henan approached Chakotay as he sat vigil next to Seven. His movements were hesitant as he twisted his hands nervously in front of him. Right away, he could tell that there was something bothering the Ighanian. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Sensing something was bothering him, Chakotay got to his feet. Tom followed his example and stood up as well. For a moment, they looked like they were standing over Seven to protect her.

"Notaxi and I were talking," Henan admitted. "And we'd like to come with you guys." Tom and Chakotay exchanged brief glances. Suddenly their disagreement on the edge of camp made sense, they were apparently discussing if they wanted to join _Voyager_ 's crew. It would be a difficult decision to make, even if it meant leaving a desolate planet such as this; it had been their home for several years, and they were asking to join an unknown crew. There was no doubt in his mind that they would try to return Henan and Notaxi to their home planet, but if they couldn't, they would become a part of their crew and return to the Alpha Quadrant with them.

"That should be alright," Chakotay finally said. "I'm not the Captain of _Voyager_ , so I have to check with her first, but I can't imagine she'd say no; you both have been indispensable to helping us. It's the least we can do to help you." Henan glanced down at Seven with despair in his eyes.

"I just wish we could have done more," he admitted sadly.

"You've already done so much," Tom assured. It was true. Without Henan and Notaxi, he was sure that he and Seven would still be trapped in the cave with Harry and Chakotay wandering around aimlessly in search of them. Had that been the case, he was sure that she would be far worse off than she was, which was hard to believe. They had barely been scraping by in there; not that they were doing much better out here. At least now they were all together, and Chakotay could try to take care of Seven to the best of his ability. If only there was more to do than just sit around and watch her body shut down.

Shocked and utterly confused, Harry sat back in the chair and ran his hand over his face. He'd played the message back, twice, and he still had no idea what to make of it. None of it made any sense to him. His mind spun at warp speed as he attempted to figure out what was going on and what to make of it. He looked at the tools scattered across the floor of the shuttle. Just a few hours ago he'd been grateful to have the tools returned, but now he had no idea what to make of them or anything else for that matter. Everything about this away mission was enough to drive him crazy and put him off volunteering for any away mission until they got back to the Alpha Quadrant. It was supposed to be an easy mission, and they should have been back on _Voyager_ by now. Figuring it would help to hear the message again, Harry played it back for a third time. He had no idea what he had expected hearing the mysterious message yet again, but it was the only thing he could think of for right now. Nothing had changed, it was the exact same message as before. It still left him feeling conflicted and torn. He had to tell Chakotay, but he had to find the best time to do so. This wasn't something he could simply show up at camp and blurt out without warning. There needed to be some sort of prelude, and he needed more than just one short message to support himself. For all he knew, it was all another trap.

Harry had been so wrapped up in trying to make sense of the message that he didn't hear the new background noise at first. Gradually, the noise grew louder until it finally caught his attention. Fearing it was another plasma storm, he terminated the message early and went outside to investigate. The skies were clear, not a cloud in the sky, so it couldn't possibly be a plasma storm. At first, he couldn't see what was making the noise, but then he saw it in the distance. A smile broke out across his face. After nearly a week and a half, _Voyager_ had finally arrived. They were saved.

Those left behind at the camp heard the noise as well, although not as quickly as Harry. Confused, all four men emerged from the cave. In order to get a better look, Tom shielded his eyes against the blinding sun. Although it was a few kilometers away, and the view was partially blocked by the sun and several large rocks, there was no doubt in his mind what was going on; he'd recognize that starship anywhere.

"Well, Henan, it looks like you'll be able to ask our captain for passage sooner than you thought," he commented with a smile as he clapped his new friend on the back. The foursome watched as the starship landed about a kilometer past where the shuttle sat. At long last, they were going to get out of here. Chakotay glanced back towards the cave where Seven was resting within its dark shadows. Before he went to retrieve her, he knew he had to take care of things out here. They couldn't just up and leave, he wasn't sure if was entirely safe to pick Seven up and carry her across the desert to _Voyager_.

"Tom, I want you to go meet Harry at _Voyager_." he instructed. "Make sure the Doctor comes out here. Tell them it's a medical emergency, and we need an immediate evacuation. We'll wait here for you."

"Aye, Sir." Without missing a beat, Tom jogged off across the desert. There was a newfound optimism that consumed the entire away team. Almost since the moment they got here, they had been anxiously waiting for this moment. They were finally getting out of here.

 _In the dim lighting of his quarters, Chakotay sat back in one of the chairs and kept his eyes trained on the PADD in his hands. Even from behind, he looked so peaceful and undeniably attractive as eh took care of some work. He always worked so hard. If anyone deserved a break, it was him. Smirking sweetly, Seven silently crossed the room and slid her arms around his shoulders from behind and nuzzled his neck affectionately. Given their close proximity, she could smell his aftershave mixed the faint hint of the spices he used to cook sometimes and a masculine smell that was uniquely his own. She found the blend of smells relaxing and comforting, something that would always remind her of him. Although the behavior was out of the ordinary for her, it also felt completely natural to her. Ever since their first kiss, she felt like Chakotay was the one who usually initiated affection between them, and she wanted to show him that she was capable of being the one to take charge every once in awhile._

 _Almost immediately, Chakotay stiffened under Seven's touch. It wasn't the reaction she expected from him. She had expected him to make some sort of sweet, flirty comment, not put his hands on her arms and push her away. Confused, she took several steps back as he got to his feet and put the PADD down on the coffee table._

" _Have I done something wrong?" she asked. He sighed and refused to even look at her. It was then that she knew she had definitely done something wrong, although she couldn't figure out what. As far as she knew, everything was fine between them._

" _This isn't working, Seven," he stated bluntly._

" _What? Explain." This didn't make any sense to her. They'd just had a wonderful, romantic dinner together and even fooled around a little on the couch before settling into a quiet evening of enjoying each other's company while each getting some work done. Seven knew that relationships weren't her area of expertise, but she would like to think that she would have been able to see something like this coming._

" _Did you really think this would work out?" Chakotay sneered. This wasn't like him at all. Even when he was angry, he was surprisingly calm and easy going, it was one of her favorite qualities about him. Everything about this was wrong. "You're a drone, a mindless Borg." He took a few menacing steps towards her, causing her to continue to back away. This wasn't the Chakotay she knew. His usually caring and almost playful eyes were cold and full of hatred. "You're the cause of millions of deaths." Despite her attempts to back away, he continued to approach her. "You can try your best to pretend to be human, try to make friends, go through the motions, but you're not convincing anyone. You're a Borg, and it's only a matter of time before the Captain realizes it and sends you back to the Collective." Tears sprang up in Seven's eyes. She never wanted to go back to the Collective; she'd rather die than have her individuality robbed from her again. The Borg was a fate worse than death._

" _No," she sobbed. She continued to back away until she hit the wall. Chakotay didn't stop coming; she was trapped with no way to escape._

" _Nobody on_ _Voyager_ _wants you here. You might as well just leave. Nobody will even miss you." Out of instinct, she threw her hands up and cowered beneath Chakotay's towering form as he stood practically on top of her. Her knees buckled slightly as she tried to shrink away from him, to escape his verbal attack._

" _Stop it!" she screamed in agony as her knees finally gave out, and she crumpled to a heap on the floor._

Harry immediately abandoned his work in the shuttle and dashed across the desert as fast as he could to get to _Voyager_. He'd only gone about half a kilometer before running into Tuvok and the Doctor. Never before had he been so relieved to see either of them. He skidded to a stop. Although he'd only run a little while, the searing heat made it seem like ten times the distance. Despite the fact that he only wore his grey short-sleeved undershirt and pants, sweat poured freely down his back. Compared with the heat inside the shuttle, being out here actually wasn't that bad once he stopped running.

"I'm so glad to see you," he gasped as he momentarily caught his breath. His dark hair flopped in his face, but he ignored it for right now.

"We got your distress calls, but we couldn't make out the full messages," the Doctor blurted out without so much as a proper greeting. Given the circumstances, it didn't bother Harry. "What happened? Who's injured?"

"It's Seven. We were lured here with a false distress call, and the aliens who sent it out stole everything off our shuttle, including her mobile regenerator. We managed to get it back, but it's been scrapped for parts. She's in bad shape. We have to hurry," he explained earnestly.

"Take us to her," Tuvok commanded. Harry didn't need to be told twice. He motioned for Tuvok and the Doctor to follow him. There was so much more for him to tell them before they got to the camp. He just hoped he would be able to explain everything in time, as once they got there, they would need to leap into action before it was too late for everyone, not just Seven.

Sweat poured down Tom's neck and back as he ran as fast as he could across the desert to intercept the rescue team. His legs screamed in protest as they pumped back and forth, pushing him forward, the sand slipping beneath his feet and making it harder to run, but he kept moving, he couldn't stop, not now. Whenever the heat became too much, and he wanted to stop to catch his breath, he pictured Seven laying on the floor of the cave, delirious with fever and on death's door. That was enough to motivate him to push forward, ignoring the heat as one foot flew in front of the other, propelling him forward across the barren, dusty landscape.

Three hazy figures appeared on the horizon as Tom mentally encouraged himself to keep running. They'd made it this far, he could keep running, no matter how exhausted and malnourished he might be. Slowly, the three figures became clearer until he saw that it was Harry, Tuvok and the Doctor, all rushing quickly across the desert towards him. He continued to run until he was right in front of them, and he skidded to a stop.

"Thank God you're here," he gasped as he doubled over to catch his breath.

"How's Seven?" the Doctor pressed. Tom shrugged.

"The same, I think," he replied. "I'm here to help escort you back to the camp. We need to get her out of here."

Tom turned to head back to the camp, but Harry spoke up, "Tom, wait, there's something you need to know." Frustrated, the Lieutenant turned around and glared angrily at his best friend. Now wasn't the time, and Harry knew it. He knew that Seven was on borrowed time, and the quicker they got back to the camp, the sooner they could get her out of here and put all of this behind them.

Back at the camp, Chakotay was starting to grow restless. He could see _Voyager_ in the distance, it shouldn't take this long for them to get back to the camp. They were so close to rescue, and yet, it felt so far away. If there was any hope for Seven, they needed to evacuate her from this awful planet as quickly as possible. He paced nervously next to Seven's unconscious form. Outside the cave, Henan and Notaxi seemed just as eager to get out of here. They shoved their minimal belongings into their bags and broke down the camp. Chakotay knew that he should help them break camp, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Seven's side. He needed to be with her, just in case something went wrong. She'd made it this far, he refused to let anything happen to her now, not when they were on the verge of being rescued.

By the time Tom and Harry brought Tuvok and the Doctor to the cave, the camp had been completely broken down. Henan and Notaxi appeared to be ready to go immediately, but they couldn't just up and walk out of here. Tom wiped a layer of sweat from his forehead.

"This way," he announced as he lead the way into the coolness of the cave. Tuvok and the Doctor ignored the Ighanians as they entered the cave behind Tom. As soon as Chakotay saw them, he immediately perked up.

"Commander," Tuvok greeted with his usual calmness as he nodded in Chakotay's direction. Ignoring all formalities and greetings, the Doctor knelt down next to Seven and began to dig through his med kit. Chakotay crouched down next to him.

"How long has she had a fever?" the Doctor demanded as he scanned her with his medical tricorder.

"Four or so days," Chakotay replied. He tried to read the Doctor's expression as he analyzed the tricorder in his hand, but the Doctor was exceptionally good at his poker face.

"Has it always been this high?"

"The first day or so, it was much lower," Tom replied as he stood over the pair. "But then it spiked overnight, and it's been about the same ever since. She probably had a fever for a few days before it spike and just never said anything. You know how she is." Yes, he was very much aware of how stubborn Seven was. He couldn't decide if she, B'Elanna or the Captain should get the award for the most difficult patient, all three of them were the proverbial thorn in his side. The Doctor kept his face neutral, but inside he was starting to feel incredibly stressed. A human body shouldn't sustain a fever this high for long periods of time like this. It should have broken by now and undoubtedly would have if it hadn't been caused by her lack of regeneration.  
"When's the last time she was awake?" Tom sighed. He had no idea.

"Late last night," Chakotay replied. Surprised, his head shot up. As field medic, that would have been useful information to know. "She was lucid too, but only for a few minutes." This was news to Tom. Even when he saw Seven awake, she hadn't exactly been completely with it. The Doctor closed the tricorder and replaced the scanner in its proper slot. "How bad is it?"

"High fever, weak pulse, damage to the nervous and respiratory systems, along with rejection of her implants, and her nanoprobes down to 17% efficiency and dropping as we speak, along with the requisite dehydration and malnutrition the three of you are most likely suffering from as well." The Doctor sounded clinical and surprisingly calm, which frustrated Chakotay. He couldn't figure out how he could be so calm right now. After everything he'd just rattled off, it was even more evident that Seven's life was in jeopardy. In a way, he was glad he hadn't known all that before, it would have only caused him to become more stressed out, without anything to do to help her. "We need to get her out of here right away. If there's any chance of her surviving, she needs to get back to _Voyager_."

Tuvok immediately tapped his comm badge and said, "Tuvok to _Voyager_." He waited, but there was no response. "Commander Tuvok to _Voyager_ , please respond." Once again, there was nothing.

"There's too much atmospheric interference," Tom pointed out.

"The comm badges were working sufficiently on _Voyager_."

"The artificial atmosphere on board probably helped," Chakotay commented. "We'll have to carry her to _Voyager_ ourselves." With all the weight Seven had dropped over the past few days, it shouldn't be too difficult to carry her the few kilometers to _Voyager_. Even if it was difficult, it would be well worth it because it meant finally getting her the help she so desperately needed.

Chakotay gently cupped Seven's cheek in his large hand and ran his thumb over the hot, hollow flesh. Despite his affectionate touch, she didn't move. He firmly believed that if _Voyager_ hadn't shown up today, then she wouldn't have survived; she might not even survive a few more hours like this.

"Seven, we're going to carry you to _Voyager_ ," he explained gently. Even though she couldn't hear him, he took solace in telling her what was going on, it was his way of acting like everything was fine. The Doctor put a tentative hand on the First Officer's arm.

"Commander, she can't hear you." He sounded crestfallen. Now that he had a chance to carefully examine Chakotay up close, he could see that his health was starting to decline as well. Dark circles lined his eyes, which told the Doctor that he wasn't sleeping, and based on his sallow skin, it was evident that he wasn't eating either. Once he got Seven stabilized, he would turn his attention to Chakotay and get him back on his feet as well. This away mission had clearly taken its toll on everyone involved.

"Commander, I need to talk to you," Harry muttered under his breath as he materialized at Chakotay's side. Shocked, the First Officer looked at him. Harry certainly had poor timing. They were about to evacuate Seven out of here, now wasn't the time for any type of discussion.

"Not now, Ensign," he snapped as he slung one of Seven's limp arms over his shoulder. Tom locked eyes with Harry for a moment as he followed Chakotay's lead.

"But it's important." Tom and Chakotay got to their feet, pulling Seven upright with them. Her head flopped forward, and she made no sign of being aware of what was going on around her.

"Tell me when we get to _Voyager_." Chakotay firmly held onto Seven's arm to keep her in place as he and Tom began to carry her out of the cave and into the sunlight. After spending over a week in the darkness of the cave, Seven flinched and moaned from the sudden addition of sunlight. Out of instinct, Chakotay gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, but she didn't respond. The flinch and moan had been instinct, not a sign of lucidness.

Once outside, Notaxi and Henan snatched up their bags and slung them over their shoulders. There was excitement and eagerness in their eyes as they prepared to leave as well. Harry eyed them suspiciously but kept his mouth shut. His mind whirled as he attempted to figure out what to do next, how to handle this situation. He'd have to improvise when they got back to _Voyager_ , it was the only thing he could think of.

"Are these the aliens who helped you?" Tuvok asked Chakotay as the trio passed by him.

"Yeah, I told them they could come with us," the First Officer replied. "Without them, Tom and Seven would still be stuck in the cave. It's the least we can do." Tuvok pursed his lips in protest but kept his thoughts about the situation to himself. The more pressing matter was to get Seven back to _Voyager_ safely, not argue with the Commander. Like Harry, he was also formulating a plan.

It was slow going as the small group worked its way back to _Voyager_. At first, Seven's slight frame hadn't been very cumbersome, but after carrying her for over a kilometer, both Tom and Chakotay's shoulders were starting to ache. Neither man complained though. They had come this far, and they weren't going to give up or dare complain. Just like when they had carried Seven out of the cave, both men suppressed any discomfort they experienced and pressed on no matter what. They could see the light at the end of the tunnel, or, in this case, _Voyager_ , which called to them, beckoning them to come home and put all of this behind them.

Overhead, dark clouds began to accumulate. The wind began to pick up as it swirled around the slowly progressing party. Chakotay and Tom were so caught up in what they were doing that they didn't notice right away. Harry, on the other hand, was on edge. His eyes darted back and forth across the landscape. His body was tense, ready at any moment to leap into action. A pit was starting to form in his stomach, but he did his best to ignore it as his fingers grazed against the phaser from Tuvok that rested in its holster. Harry glanced up and grew alarmed at the dark clouds forming overhead

"Commander," he called. Chakotay's head shot up. As soon as he saw the clouds, his heart skipped a beat. He should have expected as much. Anything that could go wrong during this away mission did go wrong, why should he expect any different now? He glanced back towards the cave. He had to make a split second decision on whether to keep going or turn back. They'd made it this far, there was no telling when they'd be able to get Seven out of here if they headed back to the caves. They needed to get back to _Voyager_ , and now they were under even more pressure to hurry.

"Keep going," he ordered. "We'll have to make it in time." As much as he tried to hide it, there was uncertainty in his voice. He hoped he had made the right decision. He had to think about the away team as a whole and not let his emotions drive his decisions. They would continue to move forward as long as possible, not that there was anything here that could provide them with shelter. They were essentially trapped in the open expanse that stretched between the caves and _Voyager_.

Lightning flashed overhead, plunging the darkening landscape into temporary, near blinding light. The wind was picking up at dangerous speeds, it nearly knocked Harry over as he walked in front of Tom, Seven and Chakotay. Chakotay stopped and momentarily let go of Seven's arm. Tom didn't protest as he supported Seven's full weight. His shoulders groaned in adamant protest, but he ignored them as he tightened his arm around her fragile waist to keep her upright, which was made more difficult by the wind blowing all around him.

"Doctor," Chakotay called over the sound of the wind. "You need to get back to _Voyager_ , If your mobile emitter comes off in the wind, we'll be even worse off than we already are."

"But Commander," the Doctor protested.

"That's an order." The Doctor closed his mouth and glared at Chakotay for a split second before turning to rush back to _Voyager_. It went against everything in his nature to leave Seven behind in such a critical state, but he knew that Chakotay was right. With Tom as field medic, the away team had managed to keep her safe thus far, and he had no doubt that they would continue to do so during the homestretch. They were in the home stretch now.

No sooner did the Doctor disappear towards _Voyager_ did strange clouds start to appear in the distance. Unlike the clouds from the plasma storm, these clouds were low to the ground and appeared to be made of dust and sand. The dark clouds overhead and flashing lightning made it difficult to see what it was. All they could tell for sure was that it was approaching them.

"What the hell is that?" Tom blurted out from his position next to Chakotay. Gradually, shapes began to take place. They appeared to be low flying, box shaped structures hovering just a meter or so above the ground.

"It appears to be some sort of shuttle," Tuvok replied.

Wide eyed, Chakotay announced, "It's the Kalrussians! We need to get out of here...now!" Panic filled his voice. Right as he turned to grab Seven's arm to help Tom carry her, a fist came flying out of nowhere and made contact with his jaw. Shocked, his hand flew to his mouth as he stumbled backwards and looked at Henan, whose hand was still clenched tightly in a fist. The Ighanian looked shocked, not at what he had done but at the fact that Chakotay was still on his feet. Before any member of _Voyager_ could pull out his phaser and react, a blast came out of nowhere and sent Henan flying through the air. The Ighanian landed on his back with a sickening _thud_ that everyone managed to hear over the sound of the wind and thunder. Still reeling from the blow, Chakotay's head shot up. He was sure he was seeing things, as he saw Aritlin standing in the distance, still holding his phaser high.

 **Author's Note:** I have been trying to properly upload this chapter for a while now, and I have no idea what happened. kept formatting it weird, which made it an absolute nightmare. I hope it works and I hope you liked this chapter. I apologize profusely for any problems.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Chaos immediately erupted amongst the small group as the plasma storm picked up momentum. Notaxi attempted to shove past Harry and rush forward to _Voyager_ , but the young Ensign was prepared for him. He grabbed the Ighanian by the arm and jerked him backwards while simultaneously throwing a sharp punch. His fist connected with his nose with a sickening crack, indicating that he had broken his nose. Notaxi cried out in pain as he stumbled backwards. He may not be a boxer like Chakotay, but his hit had been good enough to temporarily sideline Notaxi. Chakotay's mind spun as he tried to figure out what was going on. Everything was happening so fast around him, and he'd been so focused on getting Seven back safely that he hadn't been fully paying attention to the world around him until all hell broke loose. One second, they were on their way back to _Voyager_ , all of them relieved to finally be getting out of here, the next they were under attack by the very aliens they thought were helping them. He really had thought he'd figured this place out, none of it made sense anymore.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded over all the noise, although the wind from the plasma storm made it difficult for him to be heard. Further conversation was cut off by another shot coming out of nowhere. At first, he thought it was Notaxi, but he was still pathetically nursing his broken nose. Chakotay instinctively ducked, more focused on protecting Seven, who was unable to protect herself given her unconscious state. He needed to get her out of this fire fight or else her condition was going to get much worse. The Kalrussian shuttles had landed, and Kalrussians poured out of the crafts with their weapons trained on the crew from _Voyager_. Chakotay knew he would have to wait to figure out what was going on. "Get out of here!" he roared over the noise of the wind and weapons firing. Nobody needed to be told twice. Everyone bolted for the starship as fast as they could.

Aboard _Voyager_ , Kathryn paced in front of her chair anxiously while waiting to hear that both away teams had made it back in one piece. She wouldn't be able to relax until she knew that every member of her crew was back and safe. This had been one of the most stressful twenty-four hours of her command career, and she couldn't wait for it to be over.

"Doctor to the Captain." The Doctor's voice over the comm system caught her off guard. She hadn't gotten official word that the teams were back yet, and they were out of communication with everyone on the planet.

"Go ahead."

"Commander Chakotay sent me back to the ship, he and the rest of the crew are on their way with Seven." Kathryn's heart fell. While she would have been upset if it had been any member of her crew, there was a special place in her heart for Seven. She'd been so focused on preparing B'Elanna for the worst out of fear that it was Tom or Chakotay injured that she never really thought of the possibility that it was Seven. It was a relief to hear that the rest of her crew was fine, but she couldn't stand the thought of something happening to Seven; she'd already survived so much in her young life.

"How long until they get here?" she demanded, attempting to keep her emotions in check.

"It's difficult to say, but I'm on my way to sickbay now to prepare to treat Seven. They're getting back here as quickly as they can. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Doctor out." Previously, Kathryn thought that knowing who was injured would give her mind a sense of ease, but now it only made matters worse. Seven was an incredibly resourceful woman, something terrible had to have happened. Additionally, she knew that Chakotay would have been watching her like a hawk, whether he meant to or not, which only caused Kathryn to worry more. This was supposed to be an easy away mission, nothing like this was supposed to happen. As soon as she got her away team back, she needed to know what had gone wrong with such a simple mission.

Kathryn's inner thoughts and concerns were cut off by a new voice coming over the comm system, "Captain, several shuttles have appeared, and the aliens are attempting to board." Her gaze immediately hardened. There was no way she was going to let anyone but the away teams onto the starship.

"Red alert," she barked. The lights on the bridge immediately dimmed, and the siren alerting the crew to the status change blared in the background while red lights flashed in narrow strips all along the perimeter of the bridge. "Send security down to guard the shuttlebay door. We have to keep it open until they get here."

"Aye, Sir." At the very least, Kathryn thought that when they landed here they would run into trouble finding the away team, not risk being boarded by a strange race of aliens in the middle of a plasma storm. She'd honestly had ulterior motives to landing _Voyager_ , she had hoped to do some routine maintenance while treating whoever who injured. Apparently they were not welcome here. Already, she was starting to understand why the away team hadn't met them when they were supposed to.

Having somewhat regained himself, Chakotay threw Seven's arm over his shoulders and kept his arm firmly locked around her waist. With their heads ducked in a pathetic attempt to protect themselves, he and Tom started to run towards _Voyager_ once again while Tuvok and Harry covered them and returned fire with their phasers. The Kalrussians split into two groups, one smaller group focusing on the away team while the majority of them focused on attacking _Voyager_. Normally, it wouldn't be much of a fight with people on foot trying to storm the starship, they wouldn't stand a chance, but the shuttle bay door currently sat open, waiting for the away team to arrive, leaving _Voyager_ prone to attacks. Chakotay could see that as he and Tom continued to run as fast as they could towards the starship. Anyone could walk inside if they so desired. Both men did their best to quicken their pace, but it was difficult as they carried Seven between them. Not only was it in Seven's best interest to get back aboard, but they needed to get back so they could end the attack on the starship.

Suddenly crying out, Tom stumbled and fell as a sharp pain shot through his side. He rolled across the dusty ground several times and groaned. Chakotay nearly fell to the ground as well, which would have resulted in bringing Seven down with him, but he managed to catch his balance at the last minute and stumble forward while simultaneously keeping a tight grip on her. Harry skidded to a stop above his best friend and thrust out his hand to pull him to his feet. Tom clapped him on the back to thank him and pulled out the phaser Tuvok had given him before they returned to camp from his holster. When Harry first told him the truth about Henan and Notaxi, he refused to believe it. Now, it was hard to deny what he saw with his own eyes; they'd been played. Tom returned fire. The lightning that punctuated the darkness courtesy of the incoming plasma storm made it difficult to see where he was aiming, meaning he was essentially firing blind. That didn't stop him from trying though. There was no way he was going to let the Kalrussians anywhere near _Voyager_. They'd already come this far; they were in the homestretch of getting back.

Chakotay tried to spin around to help Tom as he tumbled to the ground, but the task was made more difficult by the fact that he was the only one keeping Seven upright. He had to keep going, he had to get out of here. He pressed forward, his eyes locked on _Voyager_ ; they were almost there. He could see members of the crew dodging the firefight from the Kalrussians in the open shuttle bay door. As far as he could tell, none of the aliens had managed to board the starship, and he knew that none of them would if his crew had anything to say about it The pushed around him from all directions. Sometimes it urged him forward, towards his ultimate goal, but more often than not, it pushed him in a myriad of directions and nearly knocked him over. The addition of weight from Seven's limp form caused him to nearly pitch forward and lose his balance, which would have sent both of them flying to the ground, when someone grabbed his arm, instantly stabilizing him. At first, Chakotay thought that it was Tuvok or Harry, so he was shocked when he saw Aritlin sling Seven's limp arm over his shoulder to help carry her. Harry appeared on the other side of Aritlin and clapped the Kalrussian on the back in greeting, telling Chakotay that there were many things going on here that he didn't fully understand.

"You got my message," Aritlin announce gleefully over the sound of the plasma storm. "Sorry I couldn't do more."

"You've done enough," Harry assured. Chakotay opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but he ultimately decided against it. He was more focused on getting Seven back to _Voyager_ , where he hoped he would finally get the explanation he so desperately needed. All of this was starting to give him a headache, which was only made worse by the throbbing pain in his jaw from Henan's blow.

Icheb firmly grasped the console in astrometrics. The red alert siren continued to scream in the background. Already, it was starting to get on his nerves. He'd rushed to his post without knowing what was wrong, ready at any moment to leap into action should the Captain need her. Although he knew he could handle astrometrics on her own, but he still wished Seven was here. Perhaps she was right, he had grown too dependent on her, but she emulated as close to perfection as possible while also regaining her humanity, both personal goals of his. This was his opportunity to show her what he was capable of achieving without her, once they got off this planet that is. The Doctor's voice came over the comm system, breaking Icheb out of his inner monologue.

"Sickbay to Icheb."

"I'm a little busy, Doctor. It's a red alert." Icheb's voice gave away his frustration. He knew that the Doctor could sometimes be a little oblivious to what was going on outside of sickbay, but even he wasn't so bad as to call on him in the middle of a red alert. It wasn't like he would be any good in sickbay. With the exception of genetics, his medical knowledge was extremely limited.

"I know, but this takes precedence. I need you to get the spare mobile regenerator from the cargo bay and report to sickbay immediately." Icheb's heart skipped a beat. Something told him that it was Seven who was critically injured. He had no idea how he knew, call it intuition. He was familiar with the distress calls from the away team, but he never thought that it could possibly be Seven who was injured. She was practical, levelheaded and resilient, she should have been able to handle a simple away mission. For that reason, he never worried that she was injured in any capacity. Now however, he could only think of one reason the mobile regenerator would be needed in sickbay.

"What's wrong with Seven?" he demanded. Emotion filled his voice at the thought of something being wrong with his mentor.

"Just hurry. Doctor out." Icheb didn't need to be told twice. Although it went against everything he was ever taught about handling red alert situations, he abandoned his post. He didn't care about any repercussions, he would gladly take any punishment from the Captain if it meant saving Seven.

Blind with emotion and anxiety, Icheb dashed out of astrometrics, nearly barreling over a crew member in the process who were in just as much of a hurry to get to their posts. He ignored the crewman, not even breaking off his long stride as he ran down the corridor at top speed, rounding each corner dangerous fast. He had to get to the cargo bay as quickly as possible. One time, he skipped regeneration for one night, just one night, to make some changes to astrometrics. He couldn't wait to show her the changes he made, confident that she'd be beaming with pride. Instead, she chastised him for putting his health on the line and banned him from astrometrics for the next three days as punishment. Seven always emphasized to him the importance of regenerating whenever necessary, so for her to not regenerate and take care of herself, her condition must be serious for her not to heed her own words. He prayed that he wasn't too late.

Back on the planet's surface, a shot from a phaser graze Chakotay's shoulder. While it didn't come in contact with his skin, it did singe his shirt. He glanced back to see who was firing at him, it was Notaxi who had regained himself from Harry's assault. The formerly kind looking alien had fire in his eyes as he fired blindly at the crew from _Voyager_. The blood pouring from his nose and down his tunic only added to his menacing appearance as he closed in on them. Having recovered from his mishap, Tom materialized next to Chakotay.

"Tom, get Seven back to _Voyager_ ," the First Officer ordered. Between the sound of the weapons firing and the plasma storm, he had to scream to be heard. "Tuvok and I will cover you guys."

"Yes, Sir." As much as it pained him to let her go, Chakotay forced himself to release Seven's arm. Tom immediately stepped in to take her place. Chakotay knew that if there was any chance of getting her back to _Voyager_ in one piece, he would need to offer her some sort of cover. Besides, he knew that Seven would tell him to take care of the entire away team, not just her; she was always emphasized the importance of their relationship never getting in the way of his duties, which included handing her over to Tom so he could fend off their attackers. Chakotay pulled his phaser out of its holster and carefully aimed it. It felt strange to aim it at someone he had come to regard as a friend, but clearly that wasn't the case anymore. There were things going on here that he knew he didn't understand and didn't have all the information for. As much as it went against Starfleet protocol, he would have to shoot first and ask questions later.

The limited light punctuated by bright bursts from the lightning combined with the roaring wind made it difficult for Chakotay to aim his phaser and concentrate on his target. He did his best to level the weapon as Notaxi closed in on him. From the close distance, Chakotay could tell that he was holding a phaser from the shuttle, which confirmed what he had already concluded: Notaxi and Henan had been working with the Kalrussians from the very beginning. He didn't have time to feel anything about the realization as he fired his phaser. While he'd intended to just graze Notaxi enough to get him to stop his pursuit, the extreme weather conditions made it difficult to aim, and he was hit squarely in the chest. Grunting, Notaxi stumbled backwards. For a second, there was confusion in his eyes, as if he couldn't believe that Chakotay had actually fired at him, he honestly didn't think he had it in him. Chakotay felt no remorse as he turned his attention to the Kalrussians.

While carrying Seven with the help of Aritlin definitely helped share the weight, Tom felt that it was also slowing him down, as the alien wasn't as physically fit as he was. Coming to an important decision, he skidded to a stop, catching Aritlin off guard.

"I'll carry her the rest of the way," he announced. They were only a few hundred meters away, he could manage on his own. "Cover me." Aritlin nodded. Tom slung Seven over his shoulder like a sack and locked his arms firmly around her thighs. She didn't budge. Hopefully she would have no recollection of this awkward encounter, and he hoped even more that B'Elanna never found out about it. Tom began to run to the best of his ability, which was far easier said than done given the additional weight on his shoulder. He was able to move faster than when he'd been with Aritlin, but only just a little bit. Seven's head bounced against his back, and her hair formed a curtain of sorts that hid her face. Between the crew members on _Voyager_ and those on the ground, there was a clear path for him to get her to _Voyager_ , like a planned trail to safety. At first, he'd been fine carrying her, but it didn't take long for his back and legs to scream in protest. He was using muscles he rarely used, and they wanted him to stop right away. There was also a pain in his side, which he assumed was from when he fell earlier. He ignored all the pain and continued to push himself forward. He could see into the shuttle bay, he was almost there. His lungs burned with exertion as he gulped down air to satisfy them. He had to make it, he was practically there.

Tom's foot came in contact with the metal floor with a distinct _clang_ , but that didn't stop him from running. He ran past the members of the crew who continued to hold the Kalrussions back until he was nearly in the rear of the large room. A crewman appeared out of nowhere and helped lower Seven to the ground. Gasping for air and covered with sweat and dust, Tom threw himself on the ground and leaned against the wall. Despite the fact that it was warmer than usual in the shuttle bay, it felt gloriously cool compared to the heat he'd suffered through since the away mission started. Someone immediately shoved a medical tricorder in his face, which he pushed away forcefully. Over the sound of the storm outside, he could hear the red alert siren. Red lights flashed all around him. His Starfleet instincts set in, and he knew what he had to do. He needed to get to the bridge. If anyone was going to get them out of here in this storm, it was going to be him.

"I'm fine," he snapped as he pushed himself to his feet and tapped his comm badge. "Paris to the Doctor."

"I'm waiting for Seven in sickbay," the Doctor said eagerly. Tom turned to the two crewmen hovering above Seven, who was still unconscious and completely oblivious to the chaos going on around her. One scanned her with the tricorder while the other attempted to rouse her from her unconsciousness.

"Get her to sickbay," he ordered before rushing out of the shuttle bay to get to the bridge. He would have to celebrate the fact that they were getting out of here later. Right now, he had a job to do.

As if it was planned, the Kalrussians melted away from _Voyager_. Chakotay didn't question it, as this created a clear path for himself, Tuvok and Harry to dash into the shuttlebay and out of the chaos of the storm that raged outside. He was barely inside when his eyes immediately began to scan for Seven, but she was already gone, as was Tom. Concerned about his away team as a whole, he spun around to make sure everyone had gotten here in one piece. Everyone was fine. With his heart still pounding in his chest, he rushed to the bridge. If they were in a red alert, that's where he needed to be, that's where Seven wanted him to be.

Tom burst into the turbolift and barked, "Bridge." His side continued to hurt, but he ignored the pain. He was needed on the bridge, and the Doctor was a little busy taking care of Seven right now. The turbolift slowed to a stop, and the doors slid open, revealing the bridge, which was just as chaotic as the shuttle bay. Kathryn stood in the middle of the bridge with her hands on her hips while glaring angrily at the viewscreen. She didn't have a view of what was going on on the surface, but that didn't stop her from staring at it, willing for something to appear. At the sound of the turbolift opening, she spun around. Her eyes widened with surprise when she saw Tom on the bridge.

"We need to get out of here," he announced boldly without bothering with any type of greeting.

"We're going to wait out the storm," Kathryn countered. "It's too unsafe to try and take off in the middle of a plasma storm."

"With all due respect, Captain, we're in far more danger here." Tom approached the conn. The young ensign who sat in his seat immediately abandoned it, giving it up to it's rightful owner, so to speak. As soon as he sat down, Tom felt like he was returning home after a long vacation. His fingers had a mind of their own as they flew across the consoles spread in front of him. He'd readily ignore the Captain's orders and take off on his own if necessary. They had to get out of here as soon as the rest of the away team was on board safely.

"The aliens are retreating."

"Just to regroup and get better weapons," Aritlin pointed out from the back of the bridge. Kathryn and Tom had been so caught up in their conversation that they didn't notice Chakotay, Tuvok, Harry and Aritlin enter the bridge. With her eyes narrowed in frustration, Kathryn spun around to see who was arguing with her.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but this is my starship, so I make the decisions around here," she snapped. It was far too dangerous to take off in this storm. One of her crew was already in sickbay, and she wasn't going to risk the lives of more of her crew by doing something as reckless as take off in the middle of a plasma storm.

"Captain, Aritlin's people are the ones attacking us. He has defected and desires to help us. His insight could prove to be invaluable," Tuvok argued. It shocked Kathryn that he would speak so freely against her in front of the crew. Normally, he would speak his mind, but it was in a far more private setting, never somewhere like this. Kathryn felt torn. Tuvok just openly admitted that this alien's people were the ones attacking _Voyager_ , and yet, he let him onto the starship without a second thought. She didn't know if she should trust him as well, but she also trusted Tuvok's judgement implicitly. Kathryn eyed the Kalrussian suspiciously.

"Fine," she relented. Although she said she trusted Aritlin, her eyes gave away the fact that she still was highly suspicious of him. "What should we do?"

"You need to get out of here right away," Aritlin replied. "The longer we stay here, the worse it'll be. This is the nicest ship my people have seen in years, and there's no way they're going to let it get away without a fight. They're already calling in reinforcements, I guarantee it. We need to get in the air right away." Kathryn turned to Tom, who was anxiously waiting for orders.

"Lieutenant Paris, can you get us out of here?" she demanded earnestly.

"I sure can, but it's not going to be an easy take off," Tom assured from his seat at the front of the bridge. Already, he was starting to think about the best way to get out of here with minimal damage to the starship. It was probably going to be one of the biggest challenges of his piloting career, but he knew it could be done.

"Do whatever you can."

"Just be careful," Aritlin added. "The shuttles are equipped with short range missiles. They'll use everything they can to keep you from taking off."

"Shields at maximum," Kathryn barked. Harry didn't need to be told twice. He was one step ahead of her and ready to get out of here. This planet had been nothing but a nightmare almost from the very beginning, and he'd happily leave it all behind.

Mobile regenerator in hand, Icheb burst into sickbay. He'd barely had time to catch his breath before Seven appeared, being supported by two crewmen. He abandoned the mobile regenerator on the nearest biobed and immediately rushed forward to help. He scooped her up bridal style and carried her to the biobed at the far side of sickbay in the small surgery alcove. The Borg implants that wove across his body helped him to carry the unwieldy form that was Seven's unconscious body, but only just barely. It was still quite a load for one person to carry on his own, especially Icheb. Her fever ravaged body blazed against him as he held her close. Her head flopped against his shoulder, and her limp hand flopped helplessly as he hurried across sickbay. _Voyager_ trembled under Icheb's feet, nearly causing him to lose his balance. Tricorder in hand, the Doctor hovered over his shoulder, trying to get some more readings on Seven's fragile condition. They couldn't risk wasting any time, her situation was dire.

As carefully as possible, Icheb deposited Seven on the biobed. He didn't waste any time hooking her up to the mobile regenerator. His eyes flitted over her unconscious form. The Doctor continued to scan her, although his tricorder wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know. _Voyager_ continued to jump and shake as the red alert siren blared obnoxiously in the background. The Doctor pursed his lips in frustration. How was he supposed to treat a critically ill patient when the room kept shaking like this? He understood that there was a serious situation going on here, past Seven's current condition, but he still needed some semblance of stability to properly treat her. Sighing, he put away the tricorder and pressed a cortical node to Seven's temple to measure her brain activity. He had no idea how to go about treating her, and he had to think fast, as time was not on their side. At least now she was hooked up to the mobile regenerator, which seemed to be doing its job. It was a small step in the right direction, but he knew it would be a long journey.

"What happened?" Icheb demanded.

"She needs to regenerate," the Doctor as he stood in front of a console and analyzed the readings from the cortical node. Her brain activity was limited, but there appeared to be no lasting damage as far as he could tell. It was too early to tell though. He had a feeling that a lot of this would be a waiting game.

"That doesn't make any sense," Icheb argued. "Seven's always nagging me to regenerate, she wouldn't allow herself to become this critically ill from not regenerating."

"The mobile regenerator she took on the away mission was heavily damaged." Icheb was stunned into silence. Mobile regenerators didn't just malfunction or fall apart, they were made to withstand all sorts of damage and still properly function. It didn't make any sense to him.

 _Voyager_ shuddered as Tom gently coaxed her off the ground. It was only a few hundred meters off the ground when it jerked to the side, sending everyone on the bridge stumbling to keep their balance. Tom sighed. This was far more difficult than he thought. If it was a small shuttle, he would be able to dart through the clouds without much of a problem, but a large starship was a completely different story. He got _Voyager_ back on track. The starship seemed to groan in protest as he pushed it to break through the clouds. Just when he thought they were in the clear, both literally and figuratively, _Voyager_ shook again.

"We've been hit on the starboard side," Harry announced over the chaos.

"Shields are at eighty percent," Tuvok added.

"Those are the missiles I was telling you about," Aritlin commented, although he was simply pointing out the obvious. Kathryn spun around to face him. Her usually well groomed hair was starting to stick up all over the place, although her main priority was anything but her appearance right now. She needed to get her crew out of here, and then she needed to figure out what the hell had happened to her away team.

"What's the range on the missiles?" she questioned. Aritlin opened and closed his mouth several times as he attempted to figure out the answer. He had no idea. They never measured how far the missiles went, they simply fired them at starships in an attempt to incapacitate them until they couldn't hit them anymore.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "But we've never been able to take down a ship that's past the lower atmosphere." Kathryn turned to face Tom.

"You heard him, Tom. Get us out of the lower atmosphere." Aritlin's mind spun as he tried to think of something, anything, that could help his kindly benefactors get off this planet without falling prey to his people. Suddenly, it dawned on him.

"It's hard to aim the missiles," he blurted out excitedly. "The more you dodge and weave, the harder it'll be for them. We lost a ship a few weeks ago because it kept moving all over the place. We've been meaning to fix it, but we don't have the technology." That was code for they haven't been able to steal the technology from an unsuspecting victim. In a way, they were like the Borg, stealing from others to benefit themselves. The only difference was the fact that the Borg were also mass murderers, although the Kalrussians probably had blood on their hands as well.

"Tom, evasive pattern theta five," Chakotay ordered from where he stood next to Kathryn. Both of them kept their eyes locked on the viewscreen, anxious to get out of here as quickly as possible.

"Aye, Commander." Tom had already been in the process of initiating that exact evasive pattern. It was the perfect maneuver to hopefully get them out of here in one piece. It felt good to be back.

 _Voyager_ drifted to the left for several seconds before immediately darting to the right. No sooner had it cut over to the right did it swerve to the left. To the inhabitants of the starship, it felt like they were on some sort of carnival ride, not fleeing for their lives. The viewscreen was covered by clouds, punctuated by bright flashes of lightning and missile fire that made it impossible to really see where they were going. The starship jumped and jerked to the side, an indication that it had been struck, although it was impossible to tell if it was courtesy of lightning or a missile.

"Shields are at seventy percent," Tuvok stated in his usual calm manner.

"The hull is holding up," Harry added. "We should be fine." Chakotay had his doubts. Countless things had gone wrong in this away mission, it wouldn't surprise him if something were to happen to _Voyager_ as well, not with all the bad luck they'd been having.

The missile fire became more sporadic as the clouds began to disperse, indicating they were almost in the clear. _Voyager_ continued to shudder as it rode out the last of the plasma storm. Suddenly, the starship broke through the clouds and lurched forward with surprising speed that caught everyone off guard. Kathryn's foot shot out to catch her balance. They were free; they had finally managed to escape. A sense of relief washed over the bridge. Chakotay flung himself down on his chair and took a moment to breath. While there was still so much for him to worry about, namely Seven, at least they'd made it back to _Voyager_ and were out of harm's way. The most difficult part was done; they'd survived. The red alert siren continued to scream in the background, but he didn't hear it.

While Chakotay seemed to relax a little, Kathryn was still on edge. There were so many unanswered questions swirling in her mind, and she had no idea where to start. When she came back to rescue the away team, the last thing she expected was for _Voyager_ to take off in the middle of a plasma storm while besieged by a strange alien race. She looked at her away team; they looked like hell. All three men were haggard and exhausted with dark circles under their eyes and stubble creeping across their cheeks and chins. The most of them had shed their heavy uniforms for the lightweight short sleeved shirts underneath. Dirt and dust streaked their clothes, and their shoes looked like they walked hundreds of kilometers in them. She couldn't tell the last time they'd showered or had a decent meal.

"Chakotay, Mr. Paris, Mr. Kim, I want you to report to sickbay right away to get checked out as well. Then I want to know what the hell just happened," she ordered. Chakotay pushed himself to his feet. He had been about to head down to sickbay himself but not to get checked out; he needed to know how Seven was doing. His personal health could wait, she was more important to him. The three of them had all suffered minor injuries, if any, just exhaustion really. He figured they would all need a good night's sleep, a long shower and a nice, hot meal.

The pain in Tom's side was getting worse. At first, he thought that he was fine, just a little sore from the firefight, but now he realized that a trip to sickbay might be necessary. He might have broken a rib or something when he fell. He pushed himself to his feet and winced. Searing pain shot through his side. This was more than just a broken rib or bruised side.

"Tom, are you alright?" Chakotay asked as he got to his feet and took several steps towards the Lieutenant with concern written across his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tom insisted through clenched teeth. As soon as he said those words, however, he knew it was a lie. The floor of the bridge began to tilt beneath his feet. At first, he thought there was something wrong with the navigational systems on _Voyager_ that was causing it to bank to one side. He glanced back at the conn and found that everything was in working order. The pain continued to tear through his side with each breath. Unable to take it anymore, Tom's hand flew to his side, clenching it tightly. As soon as he did, he felt something wet, causing him to take his hand away. Blood smeared across his hand, turning the pale flesh bright red. Suddenly, the pain became too much to bear as the bridge continued to spin around him. Aware of the severity of his injury, Tom felt the world around him slip away as he crumpled unconscious to the floor.

 **Author's Note:** I hope this answers some of the questions you guys were so desperate for! Leave a review and let me know.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Chaos erupted on the bridge before Tom even hit the floor as everyone reacted. Fearful for his friend's condition, Harry dashed out from behind his console in the rear of the bridge, but he was beat to his best friend's side by Kathryn and Chakotay, who were significantly closer.

"Get a medkit," Chakotay ordered over his shoulder as he knelt down next to Tom's unconscious form. Kathryn pressed her fingers to Tom's neck. He had a fairly strong pulse, which was a good sign, but it didn't explain why he had suddenly fallen unconscious. Remembering that he had been clutching his side, she pulled up the bottom of his grey t-shirt, revealing a nasty looking jagged cut that curved around his side to his back. Blood oozed freely from the open wound, staining both his shirt and the shirt and the ground. Chakotay tapped the comm badge pinned to his shirt and barked, "Chakotay to sickbay: medical emergency." Usually the Doctor was incredibly prompt at answer any pages, but he was a little preoccupied with tending to Seven, which caused him to be delayed in responding for several moments that felt like an eternity.

Finally, the Doctor answered, "I'm a little busy here, Commander. Have Mr. Paris take care of it." It was clear that he wasn't pleased with being interrupted, especially given the severity of Seven's condition. He had to focus on his patient, anything happening on the bridge could be taken care of by Tom. Despite how much he complained about the Lieutenant, he was a more than competent medic.

"That's going to be a little hard because Tom's the one having the emergency." The Doctor sighed. Chakotay could tell that he was thinking about what to do next. Now, he had two severely injured patients.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. See what you can do without me." Kathryn had already thrown open the medkit provided to her by a crewman and had out the medical tricorder to give her more information about Tom's condition. She scanned the gaping wound on Tom's side.

"There doesn't appear to be any internal bleeding," she said with a hint of relief in her voice. As far as she could tell, things looked far worse than they actually were. "He's just lost a lot of blood." Harry crouched down on the other side of Tom across from the Captain and Chakotay.

"Why didn't he say something?" he asked. "An injury like that would hurt like hell." His side hurt just looking at it.

"Scans are revealing extremely high levels of adrenaline," Kathryn replied as she put the tricorder away and grabbed the dermal regenerator. "He probably didn't even realize he was injured." She ran the dermal regenerator over Tom's exposed flesh. The device immediately did its job of knitting together the jagged edges, sealing the skin and putting an end to the bleeding but leaving behind the blood stains on the floor. Satisfied with her handy work, Kathryn got to her feet. For the time being, it appeared that the crisis had been averted, although she knew they still needed to get Tom down to sickbay as quickly as possible for proper medical care. "Mr. Tuvok, take our guest to the briefing room. I'll be with you as soon as I can." Tuvok approached Aritlin and motioned towards the briefing room. Knowing that his new hosts were still suspicious of him, he knew he better just do what they asked and hope for the best, so he immediately complied. He glanced back at Tom one last time to see if he was alright before dashing to keep up with Tuvok. He knew the wound had been caused by his people, and that didn't help the guilt that he felt.

Nobody was more pleased than the Doctor when _Voyager_ stopped shuddering, and the red alert ended. He let out a sigh of relief while flitting around the biobed; a task that was made more difficult by Icheb's hovering, as if he didn't trust the Doctor to properly take care of her. Concern etched across the young man's face as he looked down at his beloved mentor and friend. The Doctor even swore he saw a tear or two appear in his eyes, although he didn't dare mention it. He was far more concerned with stabilizing Seven.

With Seven as stabilized as she would get at the moment, the Doctor was prepared to head to the bridge to take care of Tom when the distinct sound and flashing lights of the transporter appeared in the middle of his sickbay. Tom, Harry and Chakotay all materialized out of thin air. Tom was sprawled across the floor while the two men crouched over him, ready to jump in at a moment's notice in case his condition worsened via transport. As far as they could tell, he was still fine.

"What in the world is going on around here?" the Doctor demanded. Things were getting ridiculous around here. Tricorder out and ready to go, he rushed to Tom's side, momentarily forgetting about Seven's plight just a few feet away.

"It's a long story," Harry replied. He sounded absolutely exhausted. He really had hoped to return to _Voyager_ without any problems. He and Chakotay got to their feet. One of them grabbed Tom's legs while the other looped his arm under his arms to pick him up and carry him to the closest biobed. Tom's head flopped backwards, but he didn't regain consciousness. "He was shot and lost a lot of blood. The Captain healed the wound on the bridge, but he lost a lot of blood."

"I'll give him a blood transfusion." The Doctor immediately leapt into action, barking orders to Harry. While the Ensign was out of his league, helping in sickbay was Tom's area of expertise not his, but he knew that he needed to help. He scrambled around sickbay, snatching up the appropriate supplies and struggling to keep up with the Doctor's directions.

As soon as Tom was deposited on the biobed, Chakotay melted away to check on Seven, who was his main priority. He appeared next to Icheb, who looked just as lost on the outside as he felt on the inside, although he was better at hiding his emotions than the teenager. He gave Icheb's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning his attention to Seven. He brushed her hair back from her face and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. The ministrations weren't lost on Icheb. He instantly felt uncomfortable, like he was intruding on a tender moment only meant for the couple. He'd had a feeling for the past few months that Seven was seeing someone; she'd put more emphasis on her appearance, and several times she snuck away without any sort of explanation, not that she owed him one. Of all the men on the starship, however, he never expected her to be with Chakotay. The two of them seemed so different from each other; he couldn't figure out what they had in common that drew them to each other. The realization that they were dating made Icheb feel frustrated; he'd always been so open with Seven, the least she could do was return the favor.

Chakotay thought that all the anxiety that he suffered from the past few days would disappear once he got Seven back to _Voyager_ , but, unfortunately, that wasn't the case. He still felt on edge even though she was getting the medical attention she so desperately needed. Spread out on the biobed, under the harsh lights overhead, she looked even more fragile than before. All the color was gone from her flesh, giving her an ethereal appearance while black nanoprobes rimmed the open wounds littered across her body. Anyone glancing at her would automatically assume that she was long dead, but the faint rise and fall of her chest said otherwise. Chakotay held on to that faint movement, it was the only thing that told him that she would be alright, or at least so he hoped. He had no idea if she was out of the woods just yet, there could be some lasting damage to her body that they hadn't detected yet. There was no way to be certain when or if Seven would get better.

With determination and frustration written across her face, Kathryn burst into sickbay. As soon as she saw Chakotay at Seven's side, her face softened, and her heart broke. Even from across the room, she could see the pain in his eyes. Unlike Icheb, she had known there was something going on between her First Officer and protege, but they'd managed to keep it behind closed doors (something many other members of the crew could learn to do). This was the first time she actually saw with her own eyes that there was something special going on between the two of them.

"Doctor, status report," she ordered, remembering that she was here to find out how Tom and Seven were, not to see how Chakotay acted around her.

"Seven of Nine has been hooked up to the spare mobile regenerator. I won't be able to tell the extent of the damage to her until she wakes up," he replied as he continued to set up a blood transfusion without missing a beat.

"When will that be?" Chakotay demanded from his position from the other side of the room where he ran his fingertips along Seven's hand, tracing along the seam where her implant met her flesh. Sighing, the Doctor shrugged.

"I don't know," he admitted softly. "It'll probably be a few days at the very least."

"And what about Lieutenant Paris?" Kathryn temporarily turned her attention to Tom, who was still unconscious on one of the biobeds along the wall. The Doctor finished hooking up the blood transfusion. For a moment, he looked and felt victorious until he remembered Seven's delicate situation just a few meters away. He hated not knowing what would happen to her, he regarded her as one of his closest friends and, like Chakotay and Kathryn, couldn't stand the thought of something worse befalling her.

"He'll be fine," he assured. "The wound on his side was healed without any problems thanks to your expertise and quick thinking. Once his blood transfusion is over, he should be awake and back on his feet." At least one of his patients was going to be back on his feet in a relatively short amount of time. Seven, on the other hand, was another story entirely.

With the knowledge that Tom was going to be fine, Kathryn turned her attention to Seven. She crossed the room and put a reassuring hand on Chakotay's arm and gave it a squeeze in an attempt to comfort him. For a split second, he glanced at her before turning his attention back to Seven. Kathryn didn't take it personally, she could see the pain in his eyes and across his face. This was the first time she'd ever seen him this way, and, as one of his closest friends, she wanted nothing more than to help guide him through such hardship.

"Chakotay, what happened?" Previously, her voice had been stern and demanding, but now it was gentle and comforting, desperate for answers to all the questions swarming inside her. He ran his hand over his face. That was a question he was still trying to figure out himself, and he wished he had a more concrete answer.

"Everything went wrong," he replied without taking his eyes off Seven's fragile body. "Her mobile regenerator was stolen, and she couldn't regenerate. There was nothing we could do."

"Stolen?" Kathryn parroted in shock. "How? By whom?" He shook his head but didn't answer. Instead, he approached Seven, stroking her cheek. He ran his fingers through her usually soft hair, but the golden strands felt dry and brittle against his tanned fingers. Sensing that he wanted some space, she turned to Harry and said, "Mr. Kim, you're with me. I want to meet with our new guest and find out what's going on. Doctor, make sure you tell B'Elanna that Tom's here, she's going to want to see him as soon as possible." In all honesty, she was surprised B'Elanna wasn't here already. Harry, who was dutifully by Tom's side to make sure his best friend was alright, immediately leapt into action. Tom would have to wait, but at least he knew he would be alright.

"Yes, Captain." He trailed after the Captain, who stalked out of sickbay towards the bridge. Not once did she ask Chakotay to join them, she couldn't do that to him. She knew that he needed to be by Seven's side, it was the only respite he had from the torment that consumed him.

Aritlin waited impatiently in the briefing room. He paced back and forth along the large table anxiously while Tuvok and another guard stood at attention, acting like he was some sort of dangerous criminal. He didn't blame them, but he wished there was some way for him to show them that he meant them no harm. Try as he might, he simply couldn't get the image of Tom sprawled across the floor with blood oozing from his side out of his head. When it wasn't Tom that haunted him, it was Seven's emaciated, corpse-like body that swarmed before his eyes and plagued his mind. Aritlin couldn't help but feel guilty, it was his fault that these strangers were in this situation in the first place. Never before had he seen the repercussions of his people's actions, and now it was all thrown in his face in a way that he couldn't ignore. It made him feel sick to his stomach. He was glad he'd fled his people, this wasn't how he wanted to live his life, there had to be a better way.

The doors to the briefing room slid open with a distinct _hiss_ , revealing Kathryn and Harry, who hastened inside before the doors quickly closed behind them. As soon as he saw them, Aritlin froze, wide-eyed with surprise. He hadn't expected them back so quickly. He hoped that it didn't mean that something terrible had happened to Tom or Seven; it would only cause him to feel worse.

"How are they?" he eagerly blurted out without any sort of formal introduction or sense of decorum associated with meeting the captain of a ship. "Are they going to be alright?"

"Lieutenant Paris is going to be fine in a few hours," Kathryn replied as she eased herself into her chair at the head of the elongated table and motioned for Tuvok and Harry to follow her lead. Aritlin's eyes shifted uneasily as he joined the crewmen at the table. As he did, she sized him up, trying to figure out who he was and how he'd ended up aboard her starship.

"And your other crew member? The Borg? How is she?" It felt strange to Aritlin to be so concerned about a Borg, but he could tell that there was something very different about her. Not only did she no longer closely resemble a Borg, but he could tell based on the compassion of others that she was a valued member of this crew who had been an innocent victim of his people's actions.

"Seven of Nine is in critical condition. She has been attached to a mobile regenerator in sickbay, but it will be a few days until we know the extent of the damage. Our Doctor is with her right now." The doors to the briefing room opened once again, catching everyone off guard, as nobody else was expected at the moment.

Chakotay entered the briefing room. Without saying a word, he immediately took a seat next to Kathryn as if nothing were wrong. His expression said otherwise, however. As soon as he laid eyes on Aritlin, his gazed hardened while simultaneously looking confused at his presence on _Voyager_. Even if this man had helped him and his away team get back home, he still represented the very people who nearly killed Seven and could potentially cause her permanent damage.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked. It was a question that had been burning inside of him since the Kalrussian had appeared seemingly out of the blue during the plasma storm. "We sent you back to your people as part of our deal."

"We'll get there," Kathryn assured as she held out her hand to stop Chakotay's questioning even though she had the same question herself. "But first, I want you to start at the beginning. What happened when you landed?" Harry looked at Chakotay to see if he would answer the question, but the First Officer sat at the table passively, only really here because he was expected to do so, not because he wanted to be here, letting Harry to take charge.

"When we landed, we couldn't find the source of the distress call," he started, slowly so as to collect his thoughts properly. "We conducted sweeps of the area all day, but there was nothing there: no signs of life, technology, nothing. None of us could figure out what was going on. We thought it was strange, but we figured the interference in the atmosphere skewed the readings. Things got weirder when we got back to the shuttle. Someone had broken in, but all they took were the tents." Once he got going, the story tumbled forth from Harry's lips faster than he expected as he filled in the Captain and Tuvok on the dangerous away mission that they had suffered through. Chakotay only partially paid attention to the beginning, he knew what had happened to them when they first landed. All he cared about was figuring out what had happened during the plasma storm that had lead Aritlin to join them here. Finally, Harry got to the end of the story, the part that left them all confused about what had happened. "When we woke up this morning, there were a handful of tools left at our camp." Chakotay's ears immediately perked up, this was the part he wanted to know for himself, and clearly Harry had the answers. "When I got back to the shuttle, there was a message left behind on the comm system." Harry turned to Aritlin to pick up the story from there.

"I was a part of the sweep team last night. We scan the area for shuttles and raid them for supplies. It's how we've survived for thousands of years. We lure passing ships to our planet with fake distress calls and then steal whatever we can from them under the cover of plasma storms to protect us from getting caught." There was shame in his voice as he explained the deception used by the Kalrussians. Up until recently, he hadn't seen any harm in his and his people's behavior, but now he knew otherwise. "We have technology that allows us to basically throw a fake distress call to an abandoned location, essentially luring others to come and help us. A few years ago, we got our hands on some cloaking technology, which is why your scans weren't able to pick up any traces of us on your shuttle." Realizing he had gotten off track, Aritlin redirected himself. He needed to focus on filling in the gaps in the story. "I purposefully separated myself from the team, put the supplies at the camp and rushed to your shuttle to leave you a message. I'm sorry I couldn't get you more supplies, most of them had been dispersed amongst my people." Kathryn waved the comment off. Just doing what he had done had undoubtedly been a huge risk to him, as he went against his people's norms and customs.

"You did what you could, and I'm sure both Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kim are incredibly grateful," Kathryn assured. Sensing Aritlin's apprehension, she was doing her best to be gentle with him as she encouraged him to continue so they could get the answers they so desperately needed. "What did the message say?" she pressed eagerly as she leaned forward in her seat. If he'd risked so much for a message, it must be important.

"When I first got to your camp, I knew I recognized Henan and Notaxi, but I couldn't figure out from where. It wasn't until I got back to my people that I put it all together and finally figured out where I remembered them from. We call them scrappers. They're people who have been stranded on my planet and work for my people in exchange for supplies and assistance when necessary. They do a variety of jobs, but their most important job is getting onto the starships that come to rescue people who are stranded and take down the ships from the inside to make it easier to get more supplies. They get close to the people stranded on the planet, tell them that they want to get off the planet, and when they get onto the starship, that's when they strike. Without them, my people can't take down the bigger starships, which is how we've gotten most of our important technology. As soon as I realized who they were, I knew you were in trouble." Chakotay's mind swam with information overload. The very people he trusted, that he purposefully brought into their fold and begged for assistance worked for the Kalrussians. What made it worse was the fact that they intended to betray them from the very beginning. If they had all of a sudden decided to betray them, he would be able to handle that, but from the very moment they met, they never intended to help them get back to _Voyager_. Now that he thought about it, the only reason they even offered to help get Tom and Seven out of the caves was because they knew that Chakotay and Harry wouldn't leave them behind. They'd been played.

"Okay, I want to know why you had a change of heart," Kathryn interrupted, getting to the root of what Aritlin was doing aboard her ship. Despite her deep trust of Harry and Tuvok's opinions, she still had countless reservations. Who's to say this alien wasn't going to try and steal her ship, just like that Henan and Notaxi had? "You've been saying your people have been doing this for as long as they can remember without any qualms, so why are you here? And why did you help us?" It was the question on everyone's mind, and they were glad that someone finally spoke up and asked it.

"I've always been told that what we do doesn't hurt anyone. I was shocked when I saw your friend; everything I had been told about what we do was a lie. Here was a woman wasting away because of what we did, and I couldn't let that happen. When I left your camp and got back to my people, I couldn't stop thinking about her and if there was anything I could do to help, I was going to do it. I brought back the tools as an act of good faith and left the message on your shuttle with the hopes that someone would find it. I managed to convince my people to let me stay behind, it was a miracle they let me. This let me stay close, just in case, and I'm glad I did. When I saw what was happening in the plasma storm, I stepped in to help; I had to help."

"So Henan and Notaxi were working for you the whole time?" Chakotay clarified, speaking up for the first time since he arrived. Aritlin nodded, although his eyes were full of remorse. "But they were so eager to help. They went out of the way to help us, to help Seven. They're the ones who led us to her and Tom in the caves. Why would they do that?" Aritlin shrugged.

"I can't be sure," he admitted. "But I can assume that it was to gain your trust." Chakotay scowled. This wasn't exactly the answer he wanted. He wished he could confront the bastards himself, get the answers out of them one way or another. If they were in communication with the Kalrussians, that meant that they could have gotten Seven's mobile regenerator back much sooner, perhaps before it had been scrapped for parts. In a sense, her condition was as much their fault as it was the Kalrussians'.

"But they helped us," he argued, still attempting to process this information. "They went out of their way to find a root to help lower Seven's fever." Aritlin thought back to the liquid he saw Chakotay giving to Seven during his time at the camp.

"That's what they told you?" he blurted out incredulously, his disdain for Henan and Notaxi growing by the minute. "That was a sedative, not something for fevers. We use it when performing surgery on people."

"What?" At first, Chakotay wasn't sure if he even heard correctly. Once the news sank in, he had no idea if he should feel furious or disappointed with the news. He had put Seven's health in the hands of strangers, and they betrayed him by giving her something that undoubtedly made her condition worse. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. The medicine we have for fevers is a completely different color. It would be impossible to mix them up," Aritlin replied. He felt awful for breaking such news to Chakotay. He could see in the man's eyes that he was utterly disappointed and heartbroken he was now.

"Why would they want to sedate Seven?" Kathryn pressed, cutting into the conversation in an attempt to make sense of the information herself. Aritlin shrugged.

"I wish I knew," he whispered. "Had I known that they were telling you it was for her fever, I would have put a stop to it. I would have said something. I had no idea they were being that deceptive, I had no idea they were scrappers until I already left." Chakotay barely heard Artilin's sincere apology. He was still trying to comprehend all the new information being thrown at him. Just when he thought he knew all the facts, everything he knew was turned on its head. He thought he could trust Henan and Notaxi, but they had been actively conspiring against them since the very beginning. Their plan had worked perfectly, and they fooled everyone on the away mission. Not once did anyone doubt Henan and Notaxi's motives; they gave them no reason to doubt them or their story. Chakotay couldn't help but mentally chastise himself. Had he not been so wrapped up in taking care of Seven, he would have been able to think straight and perhaps pick up on the deception. Once again, he felt that he had failed as a First Officer on this away mission by putting his feelings for her above his duty to the team as a whole. Before they left, Seven had expressed hesitance in both of them going on this mission together, and now he could see why. He'd been emotionally compromised almost from the very beginning, making decisions based on his heart, not based on what his head told him. "I want to apologize for any role I've had in harming your crew, and I hope my actions have at least started to make up for what I've done."

"Our crew owes you their lives," Kathryn assured as she leaned forward towards Aritlin. Her gaze was soft, putting him at ease almost instantly. "Without your help, my people may still be stuck on your home planet, and your people would have taken my ship. For that, we are extremely grateful. In return for your help, we'll provide you safe passage on our ship." Aritlin visibly relaxed as he slouched back in his seat. He couldn't return to his home planet, he'd committed high treason and would be executed the second his feet hit the ground, and he had no plan for what to do if they turned him away. His people were despised throughout the sector, meaning any planet he got to in the vicinity would turn him away, or worse, take the law into their own hands. "Mr. Tuvok will arrange for you to have an escort on the ship. Don't take it personally, it's just a precaution."

"I understand." Kathryn silently turned her attention to Tuvok and gave him a subtle nod that no one else picked up on; it was their silent way of communicating, much like she did with Chakotay. After seven years together, that's all it took many times to get the message across. He instantly knew that she had given him an order. He got to his feet.

"If you will please follow me, I will escort you to your quarters," he said to Aritlin. He immediately stood up and followed Tuvok out of the briefing room. Harry stood up as well.

"Captain, if you don't mind, I'd like to go to my quarters and clean up," he requested.  
"Of course." Harry took the Captain's consent as permission to leave. He turned on his heels and exited the briefing room without another word. The thought of a long shower, a fresh change of clothes and a full meal before crawling into an actual bed called to him.

The second Harry was gone, Chakotay relaxed in his chair and ran his hand over his face while still attempting to process the information he just heard. His mind whirled at warp speed, and he was starting to get a headache. Kathryn instinctively reached over and took his free hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He glanced at her briefly while his fingers subconsciously twitched against her comforting touch. While he was physically in this room, mentally he was back in sickbay and thinking about Seven.

"Chakotay," Kathryn said as gently as possible. "She's going to be alright." As gently as possible, she turned his head to get a better look at the mottled bruise that crept across his jaw from the blow from Henan. "Let me take care of that for you."

"I'm fine," he argued as he tried to brush off her hand. Undeterred, Kathryn grabbed the medkit from under the console on the side wall and produced the dermal regenerator. She stood in front of Chakotay and took his face in her hands. Her slender fingers were soft and gentle against his skin as she turned his face to get a better look at the bruise. "I'm fine," he repeated pathetically. "I've been hit much harder."

"I know you have, but that doesn't the change the fact that you have an impressive bruise already forming. It'll just take a minute." She ran the dermal regenerator over the blue and purple flesh, slowly turning it back to its usual bronzed hue.

"Kathryn, I'm fine. I'm more concerned with Seven." He tried to stand up. A bruise wasn't the end of the world; it would heal itself in a few days and wasn't worth the effort to him. Clearly, Kathryn saw otherwise as she held his jaw firmly in one hand and continued to run the dermal regenerator over the bruise with the other.

"There's nothing you can do about her right now, so sit still before I pull rank on you." With a frustrated sigh, Chakotay closed his mouth. There was no doubt in his mind that she would do that, just to make her point. The aching that accompanied his bruise slowly melted away into nothingness, which told him that he had been fully healed, not that he cared. No sooner had Kathryn let go of his face did he jump to his feet.

"I need to get back to sickbay," he announced. Kathryn put her hands on his broad shoulders to stop him from leaving.

"Chakotay." Her voice was compassionate, yet surprisingly firm. "Seven is in the Doctor's hands now. You got her back here, you got everyone back here as safely as possible given the impossible circumstances thrown your way. Now you need to take care of yourself. Return to your quarters, get something to eat, take a shower and get a good night's sleep." He opened his mouth to protest. "It's what Seven would want you to do; she'd want you to take care of yourself." He knew she was right. Seven would tell him that he needed to take care of himself, that he couldn't expect himself to be First Officer and fulfill his duties in his current condition.

"Fine," he relented bitterly as he broke free of Kathryn's touch. She watched helplessly as he stalked out of the briefing room without so much as looking back at her. Although he squared his shoulders and kept his head held high, she could see in the way he dragged his feet that he was defeated, unsure of himself.

Kathryn sighed. She had no idea what to do next. Logistically, she knew what to do: continue on their way to the Alpha Quadrant, and that hadn't changed. It was the welfare of her crew that worried her, particularly the away team. She had two of her Senior Officers were in sickbay, one of them in critical condition, and her First Officer appeared to be a broken man. What she wouldn't give to have Neelix here right now. His skills as morale officer would be highly invaluable, and he'd know exactly what to say to cheer her up, even if it was just for a few moments. Unfortunately, he was gone, and she would have to find a way to boost her crew's morale on her own, if only she knew how.

Light and sound swirled around Tom, ebbing and flowing like waves beating against the sand. A groan slipped past his lips as he brought his hand to his brow, running it over his face in the process. Slowly, he cracked open his eyes and adjusted to the bright lights that beamed down from above. There was a blur next to him. At first, he couldn't figure out who or what it was until his eyes finally focused, revealing B'Elanna pacing nervously alongside his biobed.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he teased hoarsely. His voice was strained and tired despite the fact that he had just regained consciousness. B'Elanna nearly jumped out of her skin. As soon as she saw that Tom was awake, she threw her arms around him to the best of her ability and pressed her lips against his. Just as quickly, she broke free and hit his shoulder, hard, causing him to groan in pain. She had one hell of a swing.

"Thomas Eugene Paris, don't you _ever_ do that to me again!" she scolded hotly, her Klingon temper quickly overpowering her worry for him. A grunt slipped past his lips as he pushed himself to a seated position.

"I missed you too, babe," he commented dryly as he looped an arm around her waist. "What happened?"

"You were injured in the firefight," the Doctor replied in an unamused tone as he breezed out of his office. He pulled out his tricorder and scanned Tom to detect any lasting damage to his body from his injury. "You lost a lot of blood. Lucky for you, I was able to take care of the situation by giving you a blood transfusion, and you'll be fine. I just want to keep you here for a few hours to make sure you're alright." Tom barely heard what the Doctor told him. Instead, he looked past B'Elanna, who was still in his arms, and focused his attention on Seven in the far corner of sickbay.

"How's Seven?" he demanded as he slid off the biobed and crossed the room, despite the Doctor's looks of annoyance at his abject disregard for his own welfare. Without looking to the Doctor for any permission, he began to analyze the information scrawling across the consoles. With expert fingers, he monitored Seven's vital signs. They were stable, or as stable as could be expected given her current condition, which made him feel a little bit better. He'd worked so hard to keep her alive, and he wished he could have done more.

"Seven is regenerating," the Doctor replied, although he knew he was simply stating the obvious. Anyone with eyes could see that she was regenerating. "While her systems are currently stable, I won't be able to ascertain if there has been any lasting damage until after she wakes up in a few days."

"So all we can do is wait?" B'Elanna questioned in an annoyed tone as she crossed her arms over her chest. For someone who often felt indifferent towards Seven, she seemed to care an awful lot about her welfare right now. Concern flashed across her face as she looked down at Seven.

"I'm afraid so." Tom didn't like the idea of just sitting around and waiting for Seven to wake up. It went against all of his medical training. When he looked at the Doctor, he could tell that he was feeling exactly the same way. If he said that all they could do was wait, then Tom knew that that was true.

In the safety and privacy of his quarters, Chakotay immediately kicked off his shoes as he made a beeline for the bathroom. On his way, he shed his clothes, leaving a trail of dirty, dusty fabric in his path. Most of the clothes he'd been stuck in during the away mission were beyond repair; he'd recycle them later, he had plenty of fresh uniforms in his closet.

"Computer, activate sonic shower," he ordered as he entered the bathroom. The soft hum told him that the sonic shower was ready for him, prompting him to climb inside. He folded his right arm against the cool wall and leaned against his forearm dangled pathetically by his side. The soft sonic waves floated over his body, gently removing a week's worth of dirt that clung to his flesh, but he didn't even notice. All he could think about was getting back to sickbay to check on Seven. He'd done his job and gotten his away team back to _Voyager_ , but he wasn't sure he had gotten them all back safely. If he counted the bruise that Kathryn had taken care of along his jaw, every single member of the away team had been injured. Some First Officer he was if he couldn't take care of three crew members. He pushed himself back from the wall and ran his hand over his face with a frustrated sigh. The sonic pulses continued to surround his body and shake loose the last of the dirt that coated him from head to toe. While the shower made him feel physically better, mentally and emotionally he still felt worn out and exhausted. He knew he wouldn't feel better until Seven was awake and back to her normal self, if that ever happened that is. The Doctor's warning that there could be lasting damage to her body still haunted him.

After carefully monitoring Tom's condition for an hour and determining that there were no side effects from the sudden blood loss and subsequent blood transfusion, the Doctor consented to releasing him. In a way, it was just as much for himself as the Lieutenant, who had a habit of driving him crazy no matter what he did.

"Now remember, Lieutenant, I want you off your feet for the next day or two while you regain your energy," the Doctor ordered as he trailed after Tom, who was on his way out the door with B'Elanna.

"Don't worry, Doctor, Tom is going to be too busy on diaper duty to do anything else," she teased as she looped her arm through her husbands and lead him out of sickbay. A smile spread from ear to ear; she was just happy to have him back and relatively unharmed.

"How's Miral been?" he asked as they walked arm in arm down the corridor towards the turbolift.

"Let's see, up all night crying, eating as if she's being starved to death otherwise, crying all day-"

"So the usual." She shrugged. That was pretty much right. She kept both of them on their toes.

"She's perfect," B'Elanna said with a smile. The entered the turbolift. "Deck three." The turbolift whirred to life. "She misses her father." Tom slid an arm around her shoulders and pressed a firm kiss to the top of her head.

"I missed her too," he murmured against her hair. The turbolift slowed to a stop, and the doors slid open. The married couple clasped hands and laced their fingers together as they exited the turbolift and walked towards their quarters.

In the Paris' quarters, Naomi was sprawled out on the floor on her stomach with paper and coloring supplies spread in all directions as if they'd always been there. Her legs kicked back and forth in the air as she hummed happily under her breath. Samantha glanced at her daughter as she sat on the couch and cradled Miral in her arms. While the infant had stopped crying about twenty minutes ago, Samantha simply couldn't get her to fall asleep. Thankfully, the doors slid open, revealing Tom and B'Elanna. As soon as she saw them, Naomi's face lit up. She snatched up one of her drawings and skipped across the room to greet them.

"Lieutenant Paris, I heard you were hurt, and I made you a card," she announced proudly as she held up the card for him to see.

"Wow!" Tom exclaimed. "That's a beautiful picture, Naomi. Thank you so much." Naomi's smile grew wider as she threw her arms around Tom's waist. He stroked her hair affectionately before she quickly pulled away and went back to her coloring. Samantha couldn't help but smile as well. Although Tom had only been a father for a few months, but he was already a pro. When Miral got older, she would have a doting father who oohed and aahed over every small art project and assignment she completed. He crossed the room and scooped Miral up in his arm. As soon as he felt the small, warm body of his daughter in his arms, he visibly relaxed. He buried his face in the soft pillow of his daughter's hair and drew in a deep breath. The wonderful smell that was unique to just her that was a combination of soap and baby wafted up. Miral grabbed at the front of her father's shirt as she nuzzled his chest affectionately. He kissed the top of her head, just like he had done to B'Elanna a few minutes earlier. He'd been waiting what seemed like forever to be with both his girls again, and now that he was back with them, he couldn't imagine leaving them ever again.

"I'm also making a card for Seven. I heard my mom saying that she's hurt also," Naomi explained as she resumed her position on the floor amongst all her supplies. With an inquisitive expression on her face, she looked up at the three adults. "Is she going to be alright?" All three adults looked at each other uneasily. Unsure how to proceed from here. It was a far more complicated question than Naomi probably realized.

"Hey, Naomi, I was wondering if you could go up to the mess hall and get me a snack," Tom requested. Naomi glanced over at the replicator mounted in the wall. She might be young, but she knew what was going on: they wanted to get rid of her for a few minutes so they could have an "adult" conversation. She hated adult conversations, she wanted to know what they were talking about.

"Uhhh…."

"Then you can finish your card for Seven, and maybe the Doctor will let you deliver it to her yourself," Samantha suggested. The prospect of getting to see Seven, even if she was sick, was enough to get Naomi on her feet and scurrying out the door.

As soon as Naomi was gone, Tom and B'Elanna sat down. When he looked down at Miral, he saw her eyes starting to grow heavy with fatigue. It would only be a few more minutes until she was fast asleep. Apparently all she wanted was to be held by her father.

"Tom, what happened?" B'Elanna pressed as she put a hand on her husband's knee. "I thought this was supposed to be an easy away mission."

"Yeah, so did I," Tom replied bitterly. "There was no distress call, nobody needed our help. It was all a ploy to get us to the planet, and these aliens, these Kalrussians, raided our shuttle and took all our supplies, including Seven's mobile regenerator."

"Is she going to be alright?" Samantha pressed. She immediately thought of Naomi and how she would explain to her daughter that her beloved friend was in critical condition. When she heard that Seven was in sickbay, she assumed she would be fine, just like she always was, but that may not be the case this time.

"The Doctor seems optimistic," Tom replied. "But he can't be certain until she regains consciousness, which will take a while." He had a feeling that he would be explaining the same situation over and over again until Seven was back on her feet, so he might as well get used to it.

"Look, not that I don't care about Seven and what's wrong with her, but I want to know how you ended up in sickbay," B'Elanna snapped haughtily. She didn't want to seem uncaring towards Seven, but her main concern was her husband. She knew that he was fine, but she still needed to know what had happened to him in the first place.

"There was a firefight as we tried to get back to _Voyager_ , and I guess I was hit. I mean, I know I was hit, but I didn't even feel it. Between the fighting and the plasma storm, there was so much going on, and I knew I had to get back to _Voyager_. It was absolute chaos out there, pure and simple. We're all lucky we made it back in one piece." B'Elanna could hear the tension in her husband's voice. He'd been on countless away missions over the years, but she'd never heard him talk about one like this. He sounded lost and dejected, as if he'd given up on the prospect of away missions.

The doors to the Paris' quarters opened, and Naomi skittered inside, instantly stopping all further conversation about the away mission. She had a victorious smile plastered across her face. It was a simple task that she'd done what felt like dozens of times over the years for the Captain and her mother, but that didn't stop her from feeling pleased with herself and how efficiently she'd done it. Seven would be pleased with her efficiency, just like the Borg.

"I brought you back some pudding and a sandwich," Naomi boasted proudly as she handed over the tray of food. "Chell said that if you want him to bring you up some food for dinner, just let him know. He knows you're hurt and doesn't want you to over do it."

"This is great, Naomi. Thank you so much." With a sense of purpose and pridefulness, Naomi smiled and puffed out her chest in triumph. The feeling only continued to swell in her as Tom took a large bite of the sandwich while simultaneously balancing Miral's sleeping form in the other arm, a task he was starting to get pretty good at. It might not be anything fancy, but it was the first real meal he'd had in a week, which made it the best food he'd had in a very long time. Sensing Tom and B'Elanna wanted some time to stood up.

"Come on, Naomi, let's let Lieutenant Paris rest," she urged. "Clean up your stuff." She motioned towards the mess she'd made all over their quarters. Naomi swept her coloring supplies into her backpack unceremoniously and flung the bag over her shoulder.

"Can we visit Seven in sickbay? I want to deliver my card to her." It was such an innocent question, and yet, the answer was incredibly complicated. Samantha glanced back at Tom and B'Elanna uneasily. They also looked uncomfortable with the seemingly simple request. None of them were entirely sure how to react to Naomi's question. They knew she meant well, but it might do her more harm than good to see her close friend in such a condition. For that reason, she would have to be kept away from sickbay, at least for the time being. It was the best decision for the time being. Hopefully, Naomi would be reunited with her friend shortly.

 **Author's Note:** I hope this chapter gives you some answers! Let me know what you think.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

A single dim light shined in the Doctor's office, barely illuminating sickbay. It was early morning as he continued to study the reports on the screen in front of him. Thankfully, he didn't need any sleep, which meant he could pore over files and databases all night, desperately looking for any new information that might help him. Unfortunately, there was so little information available about what would happen to a Borg if it failed to regenerate that he was basically spinning his wheels. He had hoped to find something somewhere, but he was essentially flying blind right now; even the Borg didn't know what they didn't regenerate. If the Borg didn't know, how was he expected to figure it out? All he could do was heal Seven as he best saw fit based on her current condition, which was pretty bleak right now. Ever since her arrival on _Voyager_ , he had been learning as he went when it came to her health and physiology, which hadn't been much of a problem. Once in awhile he had to treat some sort of problem that popped up, but they both worked so hard to maintain her implants and keep them running at peak efficiency. Previously, he hadn't had too many problems with her, but this was a life or death situation here.

Consumed by his thoughts about Seven's current condition, the Doctor hadn't heard someone enter sickbay right away. The flash of movement in the darkness that consumed the other part of the room drew his attention away from his work. Caught off guard, he scrambled to his feet and rushed out of his office. Not knowing who it was, he hoped it wasn't the strange new alien he heard returned with the away team. He knew the Captain trusted him, but he wasn't sure; people did strange things when they encountered the Borg. He opened his mouth to ask what the medical emergency was but froze as soon as he saw who it was. Wordlessly, Chakotay pulled up a chair and clutched Seven's human hand in both of his, bringing it to his lips in a tender kiss. Her hand felt cold and fragile in his strong grip. The Doctor's gaze immediately softened as he crossed the room and stood next to the First Officer. Never before had he seen him act like this, not even when it was the Captain who was gravely injured. There was something different about Seven, something that brought out a much softer side of the man.

"Commander, it's 0400 hours," the Doctor pointed out as gently as possible. "Not that I don't appreciate this visit, but you need to get your rest." Still clutching Seven's hand, Chakotay shook his head and pressed his forehead against her knuckles. He'd tried sleeping, and he felt absolutely exhausted, but no matter how much he tossed and turned in bed, sleep simply alluded him. He figured he might as well come down and check on her.

"I couldn't sleep," he admitted in a low voice, as if he would wake her, although he knew that that was ridiculous. "I needed to make sure Seven's alright."

"Seven is perfectly fine," the Doctor assured, although he sounded more like he was convincing himself that Chakotay. "I have been closely monitoring her vital signs and conducting research on what happens to Borg when they don't regenerate. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of information out there. Her body is responding to the mobile regenerator, and her mind is active. As far as I can tell, there is no neurological damage. Sensors show that her mind is active and even forming thoughts." That caught Chakotay off guard. Shocked, he looked up at the Doctor.

"Is she aware of what's going on around her?" he asked. Part of him hoped that that was true, as it meant that she would be able to hear him if he talked to her. On the other hand, it also meant that she was aware of her suffering and critical condition, which was the last thing he wanted for her.

"I don't think so. It's more likely that she is dreaming." Based on what he had seen and experienced over the past few days, not only did that make more sense to Chakotay, but it was a huge relief. He didn't want Seven to remember her suffering or any of this horrible nightmare. At least if she was dreaming, she would be able to experience some sort of happiness while she regenerated.

The Doctor couldn't help but worry about Chakotay. Although he'd only been back on _Voyager_ for less than twenty-four hours, it was clear that this was a man who was already worn out. The pressure of leading such a difficult away mission had obviously taken its toll on him, and even though he was back safely on the starship, he clearly wasn't taking care of himself. Bags lined his eye, which, when paired with the stubble littered across his face from a lack of shaving, gave him a gaunt, almost other worldly appearance. The Doctor could barely recognize him.

"Commander, do you want me to give you a light sedative to help you sleep?" he offered as gently as possible. "Nothing too bad, just something to help you catch up on your sleep." Chakotay shook his head.

"I'm fine," he insisted rather pathetically. Deep down inside, he knew he needed to get some sleep, but, at the same time, he had so much to get done, and he couldn't bring himself to sleep, not while Seven was like this. "Just focus on taking care of Seven. I want hourly updates on her condition sent to me, even if everything's the same. If there's any change in her condition, I want to be informed immediately, understood?"

"Of course." Chakotay turned to walk away, but the Doctor called after him, "Commander?" He turned back around. "Make sure you take care of yourself too."

"I will." The Doctor wished he could believe Chakotay, but he had a hard time doing so. He knew how the First Officer worked; he always put everyone else before himself, especially those close to him. Until Seven was back on her feet, Chakotay wouldn't be the same man he usually was.

Despite the fact that she just woke up, Kathryn felt utterly drained as she entered her ready room. She dropped the PADD in her hand on her desk and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a figure slumped over on her couch. Once her heart stopped pounding in her chest, she was able to approach the figure and realized that it was Chakotay. Her first instinct was to call the Doctor, but when she got a closer look at him, she realized that everything was alright. It looked like he had been sitting, waiting patiently for her to report for duty until exhaustion finally overtook him, and he laid down along the couch with his legs flopped over the edge. Resting on the table in front of him were two cups of coffee. When Kathryn picked up her mug, she discovered that the liquid was stone cold, telling her that Chakotay had been waiting for her for quite some time. She crouched down in front of him and gently shook his shoulder. Part of her hated waking him, but she knew he'd only get upset if she let him sleep.

"Chakotay," she murmured tenderly. He didn't budge. "Chakotay," she said a little bit louder this time. His eyes slowly opened and took in his surroundings. At first, he couldn't figure out what she was doing in his quarters until he realized he wasn't in his quarters.

"Kathryn?" His voice was hoarse. She smiled and cupped his face in her hand. There was something oddly comforting about her touch.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Drawing in a deep breath, Chakotay sat up properly and ran his hand over his face in an attempt to wake himself up.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"A little before 0700 hours," Kathryn replied as she stood up and disposed of the old coffee. "How long have you been waiting for me?"

"A few hours. I was going to get some work done." He motioned towards a PADD that had been pinned under his sleeping form. "But I guess I fell asleep. I'm sorry, Kathryn, it won't happen again." Kathryn waved off the comment with a dismissive wave of her hand. With everything going on in his life, she could overlook him falling asleep in her ready room. Besides, it wasn't like he snuck off in the middle of his duty shift for a quick nap like she'd seen some crewmen do in the past.

"I'm more concerned with you than your work," she stated as she pressed a fresh cup of coffee into his hands and sat down next to him. "How are you doing?" Chakotay stared blankly at the swirling coffee in front of him. How was he doing? He didn't even know where to begin. For such an innocuous question, he couldn't come up with a reasonable answer.

Sensing the turmoil Chakotay felt, Kathryn didn't push him to answer her question. Instead, she patiently sipped her coffee while he collected his thoughts. She could see the wheels slowly turning as they chased away sleep and attempted to come up with a reasonable answer. She had no idea why she even asked, anyone with eyes could see that he was a man just barely hanging on by a thread.

"I don't know," he finally replied. "I thought that once I got everyone back to _Voyager_ that I would feel fine, but I still feel stressed and on edge, exactly like I felt on the planet."

"That's because you care deeply for Seven and want to make sure she's alright. Getting her back here was only half the battle." Chakotay scoffed. Wasn't that the truth. "I do want to know, how long were you keeping this relationship from me?" There was a light-hearted tone to Kathryn's voice as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye and attempted to raise the mood in here. While she meant for it to be a teasing question, but it didn't go over that way. He abandoned the cup of coffee on the table in front of him and leaned back on the couch while he collected his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," he finally muttered. "I, we, didn't mean to. We just wanted some privacy. _Voyager_ 's such a small ship, and as soon as we told you, everyone would find out. It was so nice to just enjoy spending time together without everyone on board gossiping behind our backs. We just wanted the time to be together, to enjoy the early days of our relationship without any pressure."

"The crew's going to gossip regardless, but I can understand the apprehension. I just wish you had told me. You know I wouldn't have told anyone." Chakotay sat up properly and turned to face Kathryn properly.

"I know, and I'm sorry." She gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. She couldn't hold his desire for privacy against him; he was naturally a private person, as was Seven. Anyone would want to enjoy the early stages of a relationship without the interference of others. She remembered when she first started dating Mark; it had been exciting, full of staying up all night to talk, romantic dates and secret liaisons in less than secret locations. For a ship as small as _Voyager_ , all it took was for one person to know for the entire starship to know. Chakotay and Seven deserved their privacy.

"There's no need to apologize. You have every right to want privacy in your life, and I don't blame you at all." She paused to take a long drink of her beloved coffee. "But I do want to know all about your relationship. Okay, maybe not _all_ about it." Chakotay cracked a small smile, but as soon as it appeared, it was gone. For a fleeting moment, he was his usual self, not like a man who was more worried about his girlfriend's welfare than his own. "So tell me, is this serious?" There was a certain eagerness in Kathryn's eyes that normally appeared only when she was about to make first contact with an alien race or make a new scientific discovery. These were two of her closest friends, and while she'd originally been shocked when it dawned on her that there was something going on between them, now she couldn't be happier. They both deserved happiness, they both deserved to be together.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I'd like to think so. The entire time we were separated on the away mission, all I could focus on was her. I failed as a First Officer, Kathryn, and I shouldn't be sent on future away missions until you can be sure you can trust me." Kathryn took a slow skip of coffee as she contemplated his words. It was a shocking admission to say the least. From what she heard from Tom and Harry, nothing Chakotay did on this away mission demonstrated that he couldn't be trusted. In fact, he should be commended for his work. His away team had faced one of the most difficult away missions they had ever faced, and he managed to get them all back to _Voyager_. Yes, two of them were severely injured, but those were things out of his control. There was no way she could hold all that against him.

"Chakotay, I trust you with my life, and nothing you can ever do will change that. You were put in a nearly impossible situation, and you acted admirably. You got everyone back to _Voyager_. Yes, it didn't exactly go as planned, but it's all going to work out."

"How can we know that? Seven could have permanent damage that we don't even know about yet."

"Or she could wake up and be perfectly fine. You can't play these games, Chakotay, they'll destroy you." Kathryn paused, allowing her words to sink in. She was right, of course. Back before he joined _Voyager_ , when he commanded the _Val Jean_ , he knew that he couldn't play those what if games. He told himself that he couldn't change the past, and there were far more important matters to focus on in the present. All he could do was focus on now and not let the past overwhelm him. Up until now, that hadn't been a problem, but he couldn't help but think about Seven, lying there in sickbay, clinging to life. He'd do anything to change that, to take it all back. "Now, tell me about your secret life with Seven. What dates have you gone on? Has she tried some of your delicious cooking?" Kathryn was desperate to change the subject, to somehow lift Chakotay's spirits, even just a little bit. She couldn't stand seeing him like this, and she wanted to help him somehow.

"Yeah, I made her chili the night before we left on the away mission." His voice still sounded distant, not entirely invested in their conversation, but that didn't stop her from continuing.

"I've always been a fan of your chili. So, you made her chili, and then what?" Kathryn pressed.

"We got in a fight about washing dishes. Well, not really a fight, mostly use just splashing water on each other." She couldn't help but smile as she tried to picture Seven playing around and splashing Chakotay. It seemed so out of character for her, but she was glad to know that she was loosening up, at least around some members of the crew. "And then Harry dropped by my quarters and caught us." A laugh slipped past her lips.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed. "And then what happened?"

"And then we, uhh…" He trailed off. As close as he was with Kathryn, he couldn't bring himself to admit what they had done next. Although he didn't say it, she put together the pieces and figured out what had happened next. He immediately jumped to his feet and began to pace nervously, his mind whirling at warp speed. "I care about her so much, Kathryn. I've never felt this way about any woman before. When I'm with her, I can be myself. That's not to say I'm not myself with you, but I'm not Commander Chakotay with Seven. With her, I'm just Chakotay. I don't feel the pressure of helping you run this ship. We can talk for hours or we can just sit there and do absolutely nothing, and I don't care. As long as I'm with her, I'm happy."

"I've never seen you act this way about a woman before, and I couldn't be happier for you. After everything both of you have been through, you deserve happiness, which you'll both be able to enjoy," Kathryn said as she got to her feet as well. She ran her fingers along Chakotay's arm and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. He half-heartedly returned the gesture before snatching up his cup of coffee and draining it instantly. The caffeine did little to wake him up, which only prompted him to cross over to the replicator to get another cup.

"I need to get back to work," he announced before taking a sip of coffee. Kathryn sighed.

"Chakotay, why don't you take a few days off," she suggested as gently as possible, trying not to make it sound like he was giving him an order, even though that's really what it was. The prospect immediately caused his gaze to harden. He didn't need time off. He'd already missed over a week of shifts, and he could only imagine the amount of work waiting for him in his office. Of course, he knew Kathryn and Tuvok had done their best to keep up with his workload during his absence, but it was a lot of work on top of their usual responsibilities. He needed to get back to work as quickly as possible.

"I don't need time off," he argued. Kathryn pursed her lips with frustration. While she hadn't expected Chakotay to readily accept some time off, she secretly hoped he would surprise her.

"Chakotay, you're running on empty, I can see it in your eyes. Take some time, catch up on your sleep, take care of yourself a little."

"Is that an order? Are you relieving me of duty?"  
"No, it's just a suggestion from a very good friend who's worried about you."

"Then I'll be in my office." Coffee in hand, Chakotay exited the ready room for his office to catch up on work. Kathryn sighed. For a split second, she thought she should have ordered him to take a few days, but she didn't want to cross that line with him. She knew he could make decisions for himself, even if they were decisions she didn't agree with. For right now, she'd keep an eye on him and step in if necessary.

Chakotay took a seat in his office and immediately buried his face in his hands. He could barely keep his eyes open. He appreciated Kathryn's concern for him, but he didn't want the time off. Time off meant down time, which meant no distractions from thinking about Seven. He needed to keep his mind busy or else he would go crazy. Even when he stopped what he was doing for a split second, it was enough to cause his mind to drift to Seven and her current condition. He could hear her clearly in her mind, scolding him for being inefficient and wasting time, one of her biggest pet peeves. The thought caused him to crack a small, genuine smile. Soon he knew she would be awake to scold him herself. With the uplifting moment helping to temporarily motivate him, Chakotay picked up one of the PADDs scattered across his desk and started reading the report stored on it.

Miral's cries immediately roused Tom and B'Elanna from their sleep. Usually, Tom would grumble under his breath at being woken up and try to convince B'Elanna to take care of the infant, but he eagerly welcomed the noise. Before B'Elanna could even budge, he was out of bed and had his beloved daughter in his arms. Undeterred, she continued to cry as he padded across the quarters to grab a bottle from the small kitchen. He bounced her in his arms and heated up the bottle quickly. Seeing that Tom had it under control, B'Elanna tightened her blankets around her shoulders and closed her eyes for a few more minutes of glorious sleep. Once the bottle was properly heated, Tom tested out the temperature of the liquid within before popping the nipple into Miral's wailing mouth. She immediately stopped crying. Her small hands grasped at the bottle as she hungrily drank.

"I missed you so much," Tom murmured tenderly as he brushed his lips over the ridges on her forehead. "The whole time I was gone, all I could look forward to was coming home to you and Mommy." Wide-eyed, Miral looked up at her father. Although she couldn't understand what he was saying, his tone comforted him as she continued to eat, making small sounds of content as she did so.

Across the room, B'Elanna didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she could hear every word that Tom said. Under the cocoon of blankets, she smiled. Here was Tom Paris, notorious _Voyager_ playboy, settled down with a family and comforting his infant daughter without a single complaint. When she first met Tom, she couldn't stand him, but now she couldn't stand the thought of being without him in her life; the past week definitely proved that to her. It wasn't the fact that she had to take care of Miral on her own, it was the fact that she didn't have her best friend to talk to for the past week and to support her like he always did with unwavering dedication. There was so much she had wanted to come home and tell him, but she couldn't because he was gone. They had a lot to catch up on over the next few days.

Only a few minutes after overhearing Tom's tender conversation with Miral, B'Elanna's alarm went off, indicating that it was time to get up. So much for more sleep for her. She unfolded herself from the comfort of the warm blankets, turned off the alarm and crossed the room. As soon as he saw her, Tom looped his free arm around her shoulders and drew her close.

"How's one of my favorite girls?" he asked as she wrapped her arm around his waist and stroked Miral's pudgy arm with her free hand.

"Glad to have you home," she replied. He stole a quick kiss.

"Well, we're both glad to have you home, and I'm glad that you have a few days off to take care of Miral." In all honesty, Tom was looking forward to spending the next two days with Miral. He had no idea what he was going to do, but he was determined to make the most of it. Between his shifts on the bridge and his shifts in sickbay, he felt that he barely had time to spend with her. Over the next two days, he was going to make it up to her, along with making up for being absent for the past week. Everything was going to be about her while B'Elanna was in Engineering.

As much as she loved being in Tom's arms with Miral, B'Elanna knew she had to shower and get down to Engineering. Before letting go, however, she patted Tom playfully on the butt. The action caught him off guard. Smirking, he went to return the gesture, but B'Elanna was too fast for him. She dodged his touch and scurried over to the bathroom with a victorious laugh. Tom vowed that he would get her later. In the meantime, he focused his attention on Miral, who continued to empty her bottle at a surprisingly fast rate. He was sure that she would readily eat every scrap of food on this starship without batting an eye.

By the time B'Elanna emerged from the shower and pulled on her uniform, Tom had finished feeding Miral, burped her and was in the process of changing her into clean clothes for the day. When she first found out she was pregnant, he expressed concern in being able to take care of an infant; he wasn't exactly very paternal in nature. The second Miral was born, however, his instincts took over, and he knew exactly what to do and doted upon the child. She was destined to be daddy's little girl, but that didn't bother B'Elanna. In fact, the very sight of Tom taking care of Miral made her heart melt.

"I'm leaving," she announced as she adjusted her uniform and pinned her combadge to her chest. "Make sure to keep an eye on Miral," she ordered as she slid her arms around Tom's waist and kissed him softly.

"You doubt my parenting abilities," he commented as he gladly returned the affection. "I'm Super Dad." With a smirk on her face, B'Elanna looked over at Miral.

"Hey Super Dad, your daughter's pooping all over the place." Tom immediately jumped, and his head whipped around. At first, he thought that B'Elanna was joking, but when he saw Miral, he discovered that she was unfortunately correct, and it was all over the nice new clothes he'd just changed her into. He sighed. Hopefully this wasn't a sign of how his day was going to be.

Looking for something to eat for lunch, Harry entered the mess hall. It was a little bit early for lunch, but he trusted that Chell would have something prepared. As soon as he entered the mess hall, he saw Tom sitting at one of the long tables along the window. Perched on the table was Miral in her baby carrier. While he ate with one hand, he tickled Miral's stomach and entertained her with one of the stuffed toys given to her by a member of the crew during B'Elanna's baby shower. The sight was certainly amusing to Harry as he approached his best friend and clapped him jovially on the back.

"Well, isn't this hilarious," he teased as he flung himself down on the chair across from Tom. Miral's fingers curled around the toy in her father's hand and shoved it unceremoniously in her mouth, instantly covering it with slobber and drool. Seeing that this would keep her occupied, at least for a little while, Tom temporarily turned his attention to Harry.

"You've seen me take care of Miral before," he pointed out before taking a bite of lunch.

"Yeah, but not like this." Harry wiggled Miral's foot playfully, but she was too busy with the toy in her mouth to give her beloved "Uncle Harry" the time of day. Tom rolled his eyes. He knew Harry was just giving him a hard time, and he was going to ignore him. It was his job to look after Miral, and he thought he was doing a pretty good job at it.

A tentative Aritlin approached Harry and Tom, instantly cutting off the conversation between the duo. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other as he tried to build up the courage to say something to them. Various members of the crew who were scattered throughout the messhall eyed his suspiciously. By now, word had spread throughout _Voyager_ , and most crew members knew who he was and what his people had done to Seven and the rest of the away team. Harry saw Lieutenant Andrews, who was serving as his keeper until the Captain would trust him, in the distance as he grabbed himself a plate of food from the counter. Although he was busy serving himself, Andrews also kept an eye on Aritlin, just in case.

Sensing Aritlin's hesitation, Tom offered, "You want to sit with us?" Relief washed over Aritlin. He had dreaded sitting with his escort. Although Lieutenant Andrews was nice enough, he was still a guard ordered to keep an eye on him until the Captain said otherwise, and he treated him like that, refusing to say more than the requisite polite comments when he tried to make small talk.

"Thanks," he said as he quickly sat down before either man could change his mind. Miral knocked her toy to the table. Tom immediately picked up the toy and dangled it in front of her face before she could even start to fuss. Giggling excitedly, she eagerly reached out to grab the toy. Tom brought the toy closer, tapping it against her nose, before snatching it away. Undeterred, Miral continued to try and grab the toy for herself, although she was perfectly fine with the little game Tom was playing. Aritlin found the exchange utterly fascinating, but Harry's voice interrupted his open staring.

"How are you settling into _Voyager_?" he asked politely, instantly breaking Aritlin's train of thought.

"Everyone is very nice," he replied, even though it wasn't entirely true. "Although, I can't help but notice the staring."

"Yeah, that'll probably stop in about a week or so," Tom assured without taking his eyes off Miral, who was starting to get restless with her father's little game. Realizing that, he handed her the toy and smoothed her hair back from her face affectionately. Free from playing their little game, Tom turned his attention back to his food, which he'd barely had a chance to eat with all the interruptions.

"Is that your daughter?" Aritlin asked as he nodded towards Miral.

"Yeah, this is Miral," Tom replied. "My wife's working down in Engineering, so I'm watching her for the next few days." He ran his knuckle along Miral's leg, which she kicked in response before continuing to gnaw on her toy, accidentally chewing on her pudgy fingers in the process. None of that seemed to bother her, as she continued.

Before Aritlin could inquire further about Tom's wife and daughter, Chell appeared at the end of the table with his usual cordial smile plastered across his face. In his hands were two heaping plates of food, one for him and one for Harry, who still hadn't made it over to the galley to serve himself like he normally did.

"Welcome," he bellowed excitedly as he put a plate of food down in front of Aritlin and one in front of Harry. "You guys were so deep in conversation, I thought I'd bring you something to eat." Aritlin eyed the food uneasily, he didn't recognize anything put before him. Despite that, he started to relax when he got a whiff of it and discovered that it smelled delicious. It would probably be better if he just ate the food without asking what it was. It didn't seem to bother Harry, who just dug right in without even thinking about it.

"Thank you," he said with a genuine smile. With the exception of Tom and Harry, Chell was the first person on _Voyager_ who went out of their way to make him feel welcome. "Are you the chef here?" Chell jumped excitedly.

"Oh, yes, I'm Chell." He thrust a hand out towards Aritlin, who openly stared at it with a confused look on his face. After several uncomfortable seconds that seemed to drag on, Chell withdrew his hand and ran it along his thigh. "Well, if you need anything, just ask. I'm here to serve you."

"Thank you." Chell remained at the table for several more seconds before finally excusing himself to return to the galley to get back to some last minute cooking. The lunch rush was about to start, and he wanted to make sure everything was ready. The crew wouldn't be too happy if they came in and lunch wasn't ready.

With her small bag slung over her shoulder, Naomi skipped down the corridor. The doors to the mess hall slid open, allowing to continue on her joyous stride inside. As soon as she saw Tom, Harry and Aritlin sitting on the far side of the room, her face lit up. Temporarily forgetting that she was here to get lunch, she made an immediate beeline for the trio. This was far more important than eating.

"Hi," she chirped as she skidded to a stop next to the table. She went up on her tiptoes and tickled Miral under her chin. The infant giggled and reached for Naomi who had turned her attention to Aritlin. "Hi, I'm Naomi Wildman. What's your name?" As Captain's Assistant, it was crucial that she introduce herself to every guest aboard _Voyager_ and ensure they were settling in and comfortable.

"I'm Aritlin." He seemed uneasy with Naomi present. He had been under the impression that there were no children on this starship, but that obviously wasn't the case. "I'm new here."

"I know," she stated bluntly. "We picked you up on the planet we landed on yesterday. I was supposed to watch from the bridge when we took off yesterday, but we went into a red alert, and I couldn't." She sounded disappointed, and nobody blamed her. Landing _Voyager_ was such a rare occurrence that it was exciting for everyone. The Captain kept telling her that she could watch from the bridge, but there always seemed to be something that happened that made it impossible at the last minute. Maybe next time.

"Next time we land, I promise I'll let you watch me," Tom promised. A smile broke out across Naomi's face. She trusted him, she knew that he was a man of his word. There was something else bothering her as well though, he could see it in her eyes.

"Have you been to see Seven?" she inquired. "I wanted to go see her today, but the Doctor wouldn't let me into sickbay. Is she alright? He's never done that to me before." Tom and Harry exchanged unsure glances. They both knew Naomi was an incredibly sensitive little girl, and they weren't sure how much she knew about Seven's condition. Neither of them wanted to be the one to break the harsh news to her. She absolutely worshipped Seven, and seeing her in her current state was hard enough for adults, so they couldn't imagine how hard it would be for a child.

"Ummm, she's pretty sick right now," Harry replied, making sure to choose his words very carefully. "But she's going to be fine. I'm sure she appreciates that you stopped by, even if the Doctor didn't let you see her."

"When will I be able to see her?"

"Probably not for a few days at the very least," Tom replied. Naomi's face fell. That wasn't exactly the news she wanted to hear. Seven almost never got sick like this, and if she did, all it normally took was a few days in her alcove to get her back on her feet. It must be pretty serious if she was being kept in sickbay.

"Oh." Tom's fatherly instincts automatically kicked in as he reached out and rubbed Naomi's arm reassuringly. Unfortunately, it did very little to make the child feel better, who looked absolutely crestfallen. It was already bad enough that Seven had been gone for over a week, but now she wouldn't be able to see her for at least a few more days, which was too vague for her liking. "Can you give her something for me?" There was a glimmer of hope in her voice.

"Of course." She fished two brightly colored pieces of paper out of her bag and thrust them into Tom's hands unceremoniously.

"I made her two cards," Naomi announced proudly. "One for yesterday, and one for today." Tom looked at the cards. The one on bright yellow paper simply read "Get Better Seven" in Naomi's carefully spaced handwriting. The rest of the card was decorated with a multitude of flowers covering nearly every available centimeter of space, leaving just enough space for her to write "Love, Naomi". The other card was on light blue paper. It also wished Seven to get well soon. Unlike the first card, however, this one depicted Seven and Naomi, both with wide smiles on their faces, holding hands. He'd never seen Seven smile before, but he figured that Naomi must see a completely different side of her, just like Chakotay.

"Wow, these are great," Tom gushed. "I'll be sure to give them to her." A smile broke out across Naomi's face. He didn't have the heart to tell her that Seven was unconscious and wouldn't be awake to appreciate the cards, it would break her heart and only cause her to worry even more than she already was. When Seven came to, she would be able to see the cards and tell Naomi herself how much they meant to her.

"Thanks, Lieutenant Paris." She threw her arms around Tom's neck in a quick hug of appreciation before scurrying off to grab something to eat from Chell, which was the real reason she came here in the first place. She hoped in a few days she'd be able to see Seven for herself and give her the rest of the cards she planned on making: one each day until she was out of sickbay.

With Naomi gone, Tom, Harry and Aritlin could all clear away their plates and free up the space their table for someone else as the mess hall began to fill up with the lunch rush. Seeing that Aritlin was getting up to leave, Lieutenant Andrews quickly shoveled down the rest of his food and followed the trio to the counter to drop off their dishes. With surprising comfort and expertise, Tom balanced his dirty dishes in one hand and Miral's carrier in the other hand. Harry looked amused at the sight.

"What?" Tom asked as they exited the mess hall. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what was so amusing.

"Nothing," Harry quickly replied, not realizing he'd been caught.

Undeterred, Tom asked again, "What is it?"

"Fatherhood's made you soft," Harry finally replied. "First agreeing to drop off Naomi's cards, and look at how easy it is for you to take care of Miral." Tom shrugged off the comment. It didn't bother him at all. Over the years, his priorities had changed. He wasn't going to apologize for it, it was how he was now.

"I was going to swing by sickbay anyway, so I figured I might as well drop off the cards."

"If you're going to see your friend, I'd like to go as well," Aritlin spoke up from behind the pair. Tom glanced over his shoulder. "I know you were just telling that little girl that she's fine to make her happy. I'd like to meet with your doctor and hear her prognosis myself." Tom wasn't sure how he felt about that, but he could hear the desperation in Aritlin's voice. He briefly locked eyes with Lieutenant Andrews, who gave a small shrug that seemed to say, "What's the worst that could happen?" It was good enough for Tom.

"Alright," he relented. "You can come with me." It didn't make sense to him as to why Aritlin felt the need to come to sickbay with him, but he didn't want to say no to him. He trusted him, and he could see that this was important to him. With Lieutenant Andrews trailing a few meters behind them, the pair headed in the direction of sickbay.

In sickbay, the Doctor held the vial up to the light and carefully analyzed its contents with a scrutinizing expression. He had no idea if this treatment would work, but when he looked over at Seven, he knew he had to try something; they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. He tilted the vial from side to side a few times before putting it down on the counter. He was about to start assembling the necessary equipment when the doors to sickbay opened.

"Hey Doc," Tom greeted cheerfully as he lead Aritlin into the expansive room. "How's Seven doing?" The Doctor put down his equipment and looked back at Seven.

"She's stable," he replied. "I'm cautiously optimistic with her prognosis." Miral's carrier was starting to get heavy, prompting Tom to put her on one of the empty biobeds. The Doctor's face immediately lit up at the sight of the infant. "How's my favorite goddaughter?" he cooed as he scooped her up on his arms and cradled her against his chest. Miral smiled and drooled all across the front of his uniform, but that didn't deter him from holding her close and bouncing her up and down. That's when he noticed Aritlin. "You must be our new guest. I am the Emergency Medical Hologram, but you can call me the Doctor."

"I'm Aritlin."

"Well, Aritlin, welcome to _Voyager_." Apparently he'd been wrong about this starship, there were several people here who seemed happy to see him, although they seemed outnumbered by those who wanted nothing to do with him. He hoped that that would end soon.

"Thank you." He paused for a moment and glanced over at Seven, although it was hard to get a good look at her from the other end of the room. "I needed to see how your friend was doing. I've been so worried about her all night." With his free hand, the Doctor motioned for Tom and Aritlin to follow him over to Seven's biobed to get a closer look. Lieutenant Andrews positioned himself next to the door with his feet planted firmly on the floor shoulder width apart and his arms folded behind his back. Just in case, he kept his eyes firmly locked at Aritlin the entire time. On his way over to the biobed, the Doctor grabbed the vial he had been examining earlier.

As he approached Seven, Tom observed that she looked slightly better, although he could tell that her condition was still serious. There was a faint hint of color returned to her pale cheeks, and the gaping wounds that tore across her flesh, exposing the Bog implants underneath, had been repaired with the help of a dermal regenerator. She still looked eerily death-like, which unsettled him, but the gentle rise and fall of her chest told him that she was alive and relatively fine.

"Is she even alive?" Aritlin blurted out without thinking. As soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly regretted them. He should have found a way to be more tactful with his question. Now that he looked closer, he could see that she was breathing faintly.

"I can assure you that Seven is very much alive," the Doctor replied. "Her organs are starting to repair themselves, and she is showing high neurological activity." Tom barely heard the Doctor's response to Aritlin's question. His medical training set in, and he analyzed the information on the panels surrounding the biobed with a scrutinizing eye. It wasn't that he didn't trust the Doctor's word, he just needed to see for himself. After taking care of Seven so carefully for the past week, he felt more protective of her than usual, even though she was safe in sickbay. "I was actually about to start a small transplant," the Doctor continued as he held up the vial in his hand.

"What is that?" Artilin exclaimed almost in horror. The thick black liquid looked disgusting as it sludged in its vial. He couldn't imagine putting it in someone's body.

"Borg nanoprobes," the Doctor replied. While Aritlin admittedly knew very little about Borgs and their technology, he still found the sight of the nanoprobes unsettling.

"Are they safe to be carrying around?"

"Of course they are," the Doctor replied incredulously. Although it was a legitimate question, the hated being second guessed. "Nanoprobes are perfectly safe, as long as they are being used properly. These are from Icheb, another drone on _Voyager_ , and I'm going to transfer them to Seven. With any luck, it will help expedite the regeneration process and help her heal faster." Tom looked up from the console in front of him.

"Do you think it will work?" he asked.

"I have no idea," the Doctor admitted softly as he continued to bounce Miral in his arms. The infant amused herself by slobering all over his shoulder without a care in the world. "Icheb is the one who suggested it. Both the Captain and Commander Chakotay think that there's nothing to lose. Giving Seven nanoprobes won't do anything to harm her, but it could help accelerate her healing process." Tom had to admit that the Doctor's reasoning made sense to him. If anything, Icheb's nanoprobes could help to replace all the ones that were damaged and lost from Seven's ordeal over the past week.

"Has Chakotay been by?" he asked as he abandoned the console he was examining and plucked out of the Doctor's arms, which immediately freed him up to start preparing for the simple procedure.

"That's an understatement," the Doctor replied in an unamused, almost annoyed tone, as he began to gather the equipment necessary to transfer Icheb's nanoprobes to Seven. "Commander Chakotay has been to sickbay twice and talked to me over the comsystem every hour since 0400 hours." Tom had to admit that that didn't at all seem excessive. He saw the pain in Chakotay's eyes every day since being rescued from the cave, and he was surprised that the First Officer hadn't been by sickbay more often. "I've also been sending him and the Captain hourly updates, even if there's nothing to report. They're both very concerned about Seven's prognosis." The more Aritlin heard about Seven, the worse he felt. He thought coming to see her would help him feel better, but it did the opposite. Despite the Doctor's assurances that she would be perfectly fine in a few days, he still felt sick to his stomach with the knowledge that he was part of the reason she was in her current condition. He hoped she would come out of this without any damage, as that would be almost too much for him to bear.

"Excuse me," he whispered before excusing himself from sickbay. With a stoic expression on his face, Lieutenant Andrews followed after him. Tom and the Doctor looked at each other. Tom understood why he had fled. Like Chakotay, Aritlin would probably feel better once Seven woke up and was back to her usual self.

A small fire flickered in the darkness, catching Michael's attention. He was sure he'd put out the fire before heading up to his small apartment above his pub. He had been about to change and call it a night when he heard a strange noise downstairs from the supposedly empty pub. Carefully, he crept down the stairs and poked his head around the corner. As soon as he saw a familiar silhouette sitting in front of the fire, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Jesus, Katie, you nearly scared me half to death," he griped as he entered the pub, all thoughts of going to bed quickly flew out the window. Kathryn twitched and glanced over her shoulder briefly before turning her attention back to the fire. Right away, he knew something was wrong, she was usually all smiles and witty remarks when she saw him. Forgetting about sleep, he wove through the tables and chairs scattered throughout his pub and sat down next to her. Now that he saw her, he could see that something was definitely bothering her. Normally when she showed up in his pub, she wore one of her floor length dresses that helped her blend in with the rest of Fair Haven even though she technically wasn't from around here. He recognized her blouse and slacks as what she wore on her mystical starship. The only other time she'd shown up in Fair Haven like this was after he'd showed her _Voyager_ so long ago. Clearly something was bothering her, and she was here to escape the harsh realities of her starship. "Katie, what's the matter with you?" Usually his Irish brogue was enough to get her weak in the knees, but she was too distracted to be flattered by his Irish charm. He put a hand on her arm and rubbed it. She looked over at him and smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry, Michael, I didn't mean to intrude on your pub." She motioned towards the half empty cup of tea sitting on the small round table next to her. When she got here and saw that Michael wasn't around, she just made herself at home. She knew he wouldn't mind, but she still felt bad about it.

"'Tis no intrusion," he assured. "Now, tell me, how's your starship?" Ever since he found out about _Voyager_ , he was fascinated by it. His one brief visit had opened his eyes to things he couldn't even begin to comprehend, and he always pressed Kathryn for as much information as possible about it. Usually, she told him every little thing, often going into such detail that he had no idea what she was talking about. The way her eyes lit up when she talked about it, however, made it all worth it. They might be from different worlds, but they always seemed to enjoy each other's company and never seemed to run out of things to talk about.

"Not good," she replied dejectedly with a shake of her head. "I really messed up this time, Michael, and now one of my crew might not survive." His heart broke. He knew how much her crew meant to her, so for something to happen to one of them was undeniably difficult for her.

"Tell me what happened, Katie, and I'll help you." His voice was so gentle, it was impossible for Kathryn to resist. There was something about him that always loosened her lips, and she knew that he wouldn't dare repeat any of her misgivings. It didn't matter that he knew almost nothing about how to run a starship, just having someone to talk to was enough for her.

"I sent Tom, Harry and two other members of my crew on a mission. We thought someone needed our help, so they went to offer our assistance. It was all a trick, and all four members of the team were injured in some way." The thought of something terrible happening to Tom or Harry made Michael feel sick to his stomach. Both men were regulars around Fair Haven, and they were quite popular amongst the village's citizens.

"Is Tom alright?"

"Tom was shot, but he's fine," Kathryn assured. "Harry had a concussion, and Chakotay was punched. Seven is the one who's life is on the line."

"Seven?" It took a moment for him to remember who she was. Unlike Kathryn, she had only been to Fair Haven a handful of times and never really seemed interested in getting to know the people of his small village. "Oh, that very attractive blonde." As soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly regretted them. "Umm, uhh, not that I noticed how attractive she is. There are far more attractive women, such as you." She couldn't help but chuckle as Michael stammered and attempted to regain himself. His uncomfortable outburst helped make her feel a little better.

"Seven is very attractive," she said with a small laugh. "I'd be stupid not to notice. Half the men on my crew have tried to flirt with her since she got here. I never expected her to end up with Chakotay though."

"Really? I saw them getting pretty cozy down by the lake just a few weeks ago," Michael commented. The admission only made Kathryn feel worse. Even a hologram had noticed that there was something going on between Chakotay and Seven before she did. "So I'm guessin' that Seven is the one who's injured?" She nodded.

"She's very ill, and Chakotay is worried sick about her. If I hadn't sent them on that mission, none of this would have happened."

"You can't be playin' those what if games, they'll drive you crazy. You thought someone needed help, and being the kind hearted woman you are, you did what you thought was right. I may not know a lot about those fancy starships of yours, but I know about ships down at the wharf. Every single sailor knows the risks involved when they get on the ship, and I know you wouldn't knowingly put a single member of your crew in harm's way, it's not who you are." Somehow, Michael's words made her feel better, even though he didn't tell her what she didn't already know. It was comforting hearing it come from him though, he always made her feel better. "I wish there was something I could do to help you." Kathryn stopped to think for a few moments.

"Actually, there is something you could do." His eyebrow raised in intrigue as he tried to figure out what. He was here in Fair Haven, and the problem plaguing her was out on _Voyager_ , there was almost nothing he could do to help her, even if he wanted to.

"Next time you go to Mass, can you pray for Seven?" She felt somewhat foolish asking a hologram to pray, especially since she wasn't a woman of any type of of real faith. Even so, there was something about knowing that Michael was praying for Seven that made her feel a little bit better.

"Aye, I can do that," he whispered with a small nod.

 **Author's Note:** Be sure to let me know what you think by leaving me a little review!


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

 _Chakotay ran his fingers through Seven's hair, mindlessly twirling random strands around his fingertips. He found an odd sense of comfort in the action, although he still felt on edge. They'd been back on_ _Voyager_ _for a week, and she still wasn't awake, despite the Doctor's assurances that she would be up and about like her usual self within a week. Clearly, that was untrue, as she was still unconscious and looking incredibly weak and sickly. Chakotay took her hand in his, it felt cool to the touch as he pressed lips against it. At least her fever had broken, but she still wasn't awake, and he couldn't figure out why. Perhaps if he knew that, he wouldn't be so on edge._

" _Wake up,_ muñeca _," he pleaded desperately with his lips still brushing against her skin. "I miss you. There's so much I want to tell you. Naomi's worried sick, and so is Kathryn, although she's trying to put on a brave face for the rest of the crew. I think even B'Elanna's worried about you, but she'd never dare admit it. We all want you back, we all miss you." Seven's hand twitched, tightening her grip on his hand. The movement caught Chakotay's attention. His heart soared as her eyes fluttered open, revealing the beautiful blue color that he adored so much. He glanced over at the Doctor, who was in his office, completely oblivious, and he decided against calling him over just yet; he selfishly wanted to steal a few moments alone with her._

" _Hi," she murmured weakly in a barely audible voice._

" _Hi. How are you feeling?" Seven closed her eyes to block out the bright light shining overhead as she attempted to think of how she was doing. She was exhausted and worn out. She also couldn't figure out what she was doing here. She knew she was in sickbay, but the last thing she remembered was being stuck in the cave with Tom. Everything else was a blur._

" _Tired," she finally replied. Her hand rested on his cheek, stroking it softly with her thumb. "You got us back to_ _Voyager_ _." She smiled weakly. "I knew you would." She slid her hand around to rest on the back of his neck, rubbing it in tight circles. Her touch was so feathersoft that he barely felt it. That didn't bother him though, all that mattered was the fact that she was awake._

 _Chakotay rested his arm along the top of Seven's head and stroked her hair affectionately. Her movements got slower and weaker until her hand dropped like a weight against his shoulder. It didn't take a rocket scientist for him to figure out that something wasn't right. His heart skipped a beat as his gaze drifted to a nearby computer console to see what was going on._

" _Seven, are you alright?" he demanded._

" _I can't breathe," she admitted. Her breathing started coming out in short, sporadic bursts as her eyes grew wide with terror. He could see the fear in her usually calm demeanor. Try as he might, Chakotay looked just as terrified._

" _Doctor!" he called over his shoulder. "Doctor hurry." As the Doctor ran out of his office, Seven grabbed the front of Chakotay's tunic. The fear in his eyes was burned in his memory._

" _What's going on?" the Doctor demanded._

" _She's going into respiratory arrest. Do something." He didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled to gather the supplies he needed. He snatched up the hypospray and loaded it with Lectrazine. He tilted Seven's head to the side and administered the drug. There was no change in her condition, and she continued to gasp for air desperately. The gasps became louder, indicating that she wasn't getting nearly enough air, prompting the Doctor to administer another dose of Lectrazine. It did nothing to help as the gasps became more sporadic and weaker until they eventually stopped. The computer beeped angrily, telling the Doctor and Chakotay what they already knew._

 _The Doctor grabbed the cortical stimulator and attached it to Seven's neck. He set the computer to give her a jolt of electricity. Her body lurched and trembled, but she didn't start breathing again. Chakotay got to his feet, prompting her hand to dangle over the side of the biobed._

" _Do it again," he ordered. The Doctor readily complied, but with the same effect. "Again!" He repeated the process, and there was no reaction on Seven's part. "Again!" There was undeniable desperation in Chakotay's voice as he ordered the Doctor to give Seven another jolt of electricity. The Doctor looked up at him; his expression said it all._

" _I'm sorry, Commander. She's gone."_

Crying out in agony, Chakotay's arms flailed, and his heart pounded in his chest as his eyes flew open. He looked around wildly, trying to take in his surroundings. He was flung diagonally across his bed on top of the covers. He had no recollection of coming to bed. The last thing he remembered was sitting on the couch, trying to read a report on a PADD, and now he was in bed. With his heart still pounding in his chest, Chakotay stumbled to his feet and rushed to the bathroom. Bile built up in his mouth as images of Seven's lifeless body still haunted his mind, causing him to rush faster to the bathroom. He grabbed the toilet, barely making it in time before the contents of his stomach built up. Heaving loudly, Chakotay emptied his stomach into the toilet before falling back against the wall and wiping his mouth with the back of his trembling hand. A cold sweat coated his body. He took several deep breaths and attempted to calm himself down. Despite his best attempts, he was still shaking and felt sick to his stomach.

Unable to resist, he tapped his combadge and said, "Chakotay to sickbay." While he knew the Doctor refused to deactivate himself until Seven was awake, there was still a fear in the back of his head that nobody would answer, that the Doctor was too busy taking care of Seven, and his dream had become a terrible reality.

"Yes, Commander?" There was a faint relief that washed over Chakotay when he heard the Doctor's calm voice.

"How's Seven?" He closed his eyes and rested his head against the hard bathroom wall.

"Seven is fine. Her body is continuing to react positively to the nanoprobe transplants from Icheb." Chakotay felt relieved. When the Doctor first suggested the transplant several days ago, he wasn't sure how to react to it. The medical reasoning made sense to him, but he wasn't sure if it would work. Apparently he was wrong, and now he hoped that it would result in Seven regenerating much faster than usual.

"Okay. I'm coming down. I'll be there in about ten minutes." Despite the fact that the Doctor told him that Seven was fine, he needed to see that for himself, especially after the dream he just had. There was no way he could be able to sleep after this, so he might as well be productive.

"Commander, not that I'm denying you permission to come to sickbay, but I want to remind you that it's 0200 hours." The early hour wouldn't deter Chakotay from his mission.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," he repeated. "Chakotay out."

Chakotay pushed himself to his feet. The exhaustion and lack of food in his system made him feel dizzy, prompting him to reach out and grab the wall for support until the sensation passed. He rinsed his mouth out with mouthwash to get rid of the vile taste that plagued him and splashed some cool water on his face. While both actions made him feel better physically, mentally and emotionally he was still very shaken. Despite the incredibly early hour, Chakotay knew that he was going to get anymore sleep tonight, so he pulled on a fresh uniform before heading down to sickbay.

Almost ten minutes to the dot since Chakotay's message, the First Officer breezed into sickbay. He ignored the Doctor as he headed straight for Seven's biobed. Colorful cards were pinned to the wall all around the alcove, all courtesy of Naomi Wildman, who was worried sick about her close friend, whom she absolutely adored and hated not being able to visit. Due to how Seven looked, Samantha and the Doctor wouldn't allow the young girl into sickbay to visit her, but that didn't stop her from making one or even two cards for her every day. She argued that it would liven up the dull colors of sickbay, but Chakotay knew that it made Naomi feel like she was doing something to help, even if it was something as simple as draw pictures. He looked down at Seven. The color continued to slowly return to her cheeks. No longer did she looked half-dead, but rather she had the appearance that she was simply sleeping. Not caring that they weren't alone, he brushed his lips across her cheek affectionately. When he stood up, he half expected her to open her eyes like those princess movies Naomi watched in her free time, but that was the movies, this was real life, and Seven was still unconscious. He cupped her face in his large hand and stroked her cheek. She felt warm but not feverish to the touch, another sign that she was getting better. If only she'd wake up, then everything would be fine.

"She's responding very well to treatment," the Doctor said softly, standing a few feet behind him. "All we have to do is wait for her to regain consciousness." Chakotay tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"She looks so peaceful," he observed. "Almost like she's sleeping." The Doctor saw this as the perfect opportunity to speak to the First Officer about his current sleeping habits, or lack thereof. This wasn't the first time he'd shown up in sickbay in the middle of the night since his return to _Voyager_. In fact, the Doctor expected it to happen at least once during the night.

"Commander, are you getting enough sleep?" he questioned tentatively.

"Of course I am," Chakotay replied, although his current appearance said otherwise. There were dark bags under his eyes, and stubble littered his hollow cheeks. He was a shell of his usual self. "Why do you ask?"

"Because this is the third night in a row you've shown up in the middle of the night to check on Seven. As the ship's doctor, it's my job to look after all members of the crew, and that includes you."

"I'm fine, Doctor. Focus on taking care of Seven. She's your main priority right now, understood?" It was an unnecessary order. The Doctor was already doing everything in his power to ensure that Seven was being taken care of.

"Yes, Commander." Chakotay grabbed a nearby chair. Since he could sleep, he figured that he might as well stay here for a little while. At least then he would know that Seven was alright. He continued to hold her hand firmly in both of his, mentally willing her to wake up, to give him some sort of sign that everything was alright, and she would be fine.

Despite the incredibly early hour, there was nothing Chell liked more than when he first got to the mess hall; it was like the calm before the storm. The large room was dark and peaceful, which was a wonderful change of pace from the usual noise and chaos that consumed it. He also loved the noise and excitement that the mess hall was known for, and he could see why Neelix was always in such a good mood when working here. There was so much life in the mess hall. Here, everyone was free to relax and be themselves. They left their cares at the door as they came in to eat and enjoy each other's company; it didn't matter what a person's rank or department was, here, everyone seemed to be equal. There was always someone to talk to, and he felt that he was growing closer to so many members of the crew that he very rarely interacted with in the past. This was was his dream job.

Chell turned on the lights and was startled to see Chakotay sitting at the far end of the room at one of the long tables. Usually nobody was here this early. Once in awhile, a small group might use this as a place to hold impromptu meetings overnight, but this was entirely different. The First Officer sat staring out into space. When Chell approached him, he noticed a bowl of soup next to him.

"Good morning, Commander," he said as cheerfully as possible. Not realizing he wasn't alone, Chakotay looked up with a surprised expression on his face. He hadn't heard him enter and didn't even realize that he turned on the lights.

"Oh, good morning Chell," he greeted rather indifferently. Chell picked up the bowl of soup and carefully examined it. Based on what he saw, it was an ice cold bowl of mushroom soup. A spoon sat untouched on the table, telling him that he hadn't even taken a single bite of his food. He knew mushroom soup was Chakotay's favorite, so he must be feeling pretty awful right now if he didn't even take a bite.

"Do you want me to replicate you a fresh bowl of soup?" he offered in an attempt to do something useful for his old friend.

"No, I'm fine."

"Can I get you anything else? Just say the word, and I'll get it for you." He was eager to help out in any way possible. There had to be something he could do to help, even if it was something as simple as getting Chakotay some food.

"No, I'm fine," he repeated in a robotic voice. The thought of eating anything made him feel sick to his stomach. Right now, he just wanted some space. Sensing that, Chell retreated to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast to the crew. He had a lot to get done and not a lot of time to get it done.

As Chell flitted around the kitchen and prepared the morning meal, he kept an eye on Chakotay, glancing at him every once in awhile as if afraid that he'd do something reckless. He'd known the First Officer for nearly a decade, and never before had he seen him like this. It unnerved him, a sensation that was only made worse by the fact that he had no idea what to do to make him feel better. Of course, Chell knew that Chakotay would feel better once Seven was back on her feet, but there was no telling when that would be. For the time being, all he could do was hope for the best, just like the rest of the crew.

Right as Chell put out the last of the platters for breakfast, the first early risers getting ready for the Alpha shift entered the mess hall in search of food before starting their shift. As soon as the crewmen saw Chakotay sitting alone in the corner, they lowered their voices to barely audible whispers as they gathered their food. Out of respect for their commanding officer, they sat on the opposite end of the mess hall and huddled together as they whispered back and forth so as to not disturb him. Despite their best attempts to keep their voices down, Chakotay still found their presence distracting. Usually, he enjoyed spending time with crewmen in the mess hall, he saw it as a chance to relate to his crew better, but today he just wanted his space. Without bothering to clean up after himself like he usually did, he stood up abruptly and stalked out of the mess hall. An uncomfortable silence fell over the handful of crewmen as they watched their First Officer leave without so much as a goodbye to any of them like he normally did.

It was the middle of the breakfast rush, and Chell's heart simply wasn't in it. With a fake smile plastered across his face, he served up the food and did his best to make small talk with every crewman who came through in search of breakfast, but he was simply going through the motions as he thought about Chakotay. There had to be something he could do to help. The only problem was that he had no idea how to help him, this wasn't something that they could easily fix, even with all the technology at their disposal.

Right as Chell tried to think of something he could do, B'Elanna and Tom walked into the mess hall. It was perfect timing, as she was the exact person he needed right now to help him. She and Tom grabbed plates of food and found empty seats in a secluded corner of the room. Chell knew that they probably wanted to spend some time together before going off to their respective shifts, but he needed to talk to her. Besides, they lived together, in his mind, they had plenty of time to sit together and talk.

Tom and B'Elanna were so wrapped up in their private conversation that they didn't even notice Chell until he was standing awkwardly next to them. They purposefully sat in the far corner of the mess hall so they could steal a few minutes together before heading off to their respective shifts.

"Yes?" B'Elanna asked in an annoyed tone that wasn't lost on Chell. Although she knew the mess hall was hardly the place to have a private conversation, she would like to be able to talk to her husband without any interruptions.

"I need to talk to you. It's about Commander Chakotay." B'Elanna's expression immediately softened as she motioned for Chell to pull up a chair and join them. The sudden addition of Chell at their breakfast table didn't bother Tom, as he knew this was important. With the exception of her family, Chakotay was one of the most important people in her life. She would easily do anything for him, just like she'd do anything for Tom and Miral.

"What's wrong with Chakotay?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. Everyone with eyes could see what was wrong with Chakotay. Nobody dared talk about it in public though, it was something whispered behind closed doors out of concern for the First Officer.

"He's not eating, and he's not sleeping. When I came into the mess hall this morning, he was sitting here in the dark. He'd gotten himself some food from the replicator, but he didn't even touch it, and it was cold. I have no idea how long he'd been sitting here, but it was probably for a while. He's not taking care of himself." Chell wasn't telling B'Elanna anything she didn't already know.

"I know," B'Elanna admitted. "I've been having the same concerns."

"He was like this even before we got back to _Voyager_ ," Tom added, although it was like rubbing salt in the wound. "He's more concerned about Seven than himself. I've seen Chakotay act selflessly before, but never like this. If Seven knew, she'd be furious with him."

"And I'm afraid that he's going to wear himself out and end up in sickbay right next to Seven." Chell's voice rose with emotion.

"Okay, I'll talk to him," B'Elanna promised. She had no idea what she would say to Chakotay or if it would do any good, but she would try, not only to appease Chell but the fears that haunted the back of her mind. "I'll go after my shift today." B'Elanna's word was good enough to Chell. He visibly relaxed and slouched down in his chair. He hoped that she would be able to do something to help Chakotay feel better.

It was a blessedly slow day on the bridge, for which Kathryn was extremely grateful. As much as she loved the adventures that came with traveling across the Delta Quadrant, she also enjoyed lazy days like this every once in a while. They gave her the opportunity to relax a little, something she very rarely got a chance to do. As Captain, there was always someone who needed something from her. Sometimes it was something small, such as a minor disagreement between two crew members, and sometimes it was something big, such as a complete system meltdown. Right now, however, everyone seemed completely content and didn't even need her. It was a strange phenomenon, but she wasn't complaining.

Right as Kathryn got up to get a fresh cup of coffee, the doorbell rang. She sighed. So much for nobody needing her today. Hopefully it would be something relatively easy, as she was using this opportunity to catch up on some reports that she'd been been putting off for a few days now. They weren't the most exciting, but it was a part of her job. She'd sometimes ask Chakotay and Tuvok to take care of it, but she wasn't necessary busy right now, so she could handle it herself.

"Enter," she called as she programed the regenerator to produce another cup of coffee. When she turned around, she was surprised to see Aritlin enter her ready room.

"Aritlin," she exclaimed in surprise. This was probably the last person she expected to show up unannounced in her ready room. "What can I do for you?" The Kalrussian's eyes took in his surroundings. Although he'd been on _Voyager_ for several days now, he still wasn't used to how opulent the starship was. Compared to how his people lived, this was the lap of luxury. They had everything they could possibly want at their disposal, which was probably why they were so willing to go out of their way to help others without so much as a second thought.

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Of course, please have a seat." Rather than motion for him to take a seat at her desk, she directed him towards the couch along the far wall. Aritlin scurried across the room and immediately sat on the couch. "Do you want some coffee?"

"Coffee?" he repeated in a confused tone.

"You haven't been introduced to coffee yet?" Kathryn asked in shock. She couldn't imagine someone living without coffee. "Well, that needs to be fixed." She immediately replicated a second cup of coffee and carried it over to Aritlin. "This is a popular drink on my home planet," she explained as she handed over the cup. He took a small, tentative sip, not sure how it would taste. At first, the strong, pungent taste caught him off guard. Once it settled in his stomach, however, he found that he quite enjoyed the unusual, bitter flavor, prompting him to take another small sip. "What do you think?" Kathryn asked as she sat down next to him and tried to read his reaction.

"I can see why it's popular where you're from." She laughed and took a sip of her coffee.

"So, what can I do for you?" she asked as she crossed her legs and leaned forward slightly. Aritlin fiddled with the cup in his hand as he attempted to collect his thoughts.

"I first wanted to thank you for offering me refuge." Kathryn waved off the comment.

"My crew owes you their lives. Without your intercession, your people would have taken over _Voyager_ , and then we'd all be stranded on your home planet. It's the least we could do." She genuinely felt that her crew owed Aritlin so much, whether they realized it or not. They might have been able to fight off the Kalrussians, but, then again, they might not have been able to, there's no way to be sure. Regardless, Aritlin took a great risk helping them, and there was no way Kathryn was going to leave him behind if he was asking for safety.

"Well, I appreciate it, and I want to do something else in return."

"You've already done so much," she pointed out.

"I know, but I hate just sitting around, it goes against my nature. I was wondering if there was some sort of job I can do around here. It doesn't have to be anything big or grand, I'm willing to do the dirty work around here. I want to help in some way, earn my keep." While Kathryn had to admit that she wasn't necessarily surprised by Aritlin's request, she thought that it would take more than three days for him to get restless and ask for a job. She was glad he was so eager to get some of duty assignment, clearly he would be a fantastic asset around here. She also hoped he would be able to provide them some information about this sector. He might be their new Neelix, although there was no way anyone could ever replace the beloved Talaxian.

"Well, staffing is Commander Chakotay's department," she started. His face immediately fell. Just like that, all his dreams about helping out aboard _Voyager_ flew out the nearest airlock. He'd gone out of his way to avoid the First Officer since they got here; he sensed that he wasn't thrilled to have him here.

"Oh."

Sensing the immediate change in demeanor, Kathryn asked, "Is there something wrong with that?"

"I don't think Commander Chakotay likes me very much," he confessed. He understood why the First Officer wouldn't like him, he was the one person he could blame for Seven's current condition. Try as he might, Aritlin didn't take it personally, but now it made his goal of making himself useful around here little more than an impossible dream. Kathryn put a reassuring hand on his knee.

"Commander Chakotay is going through a difficult time right now," she gently explained. "But he isn't the type of person to hold it against anyone. I'm sure he'd be glad to find you some sort of job around here. Is there anywhere you were thinking of?" He stopped to think. There were so many areas around here that he could work at, it was overwhelming. He'd spent the past few days looking over the logistics of the starship, trying to familiarize himself with it while attempting to not get lost while going from his quarters to the mess hall.

"I don't know," he admitted softly.

"Well, what do you like to do? What did you do back on your home planet?" Back on his home planet, Aritlin had raided ships, which was hardly a useful skill on a starship of his caliber. Besides, he was determined to put all of that behind him and make a good name for himself.

"I was always interested in plants and growing things," he finally replied after several moments of careful consideration. Kathryn nodded.

"I'll talk to Commander Chakotay about finding you a job in aeroponics. He'll get back to you as soon as he can." Aritlin decided not to hold his breath. He doubted the First Officer would give him any sort of job around here. He'd probably be stuck doing some sort of dirty, menial task that nobody else wanted to complete. It wouldn't be the end of the world, but now that Kathryn mentioned aeroponics, he wanted to work there.

Tom stood at the console in the center of sickbay and carefully analyze the informations scrolling across the screen in front of him. His medical training might not be as extensive as the Doctor's knowledge, but he knew enough to figure out that the prognosis was definitely better than it had been even this time yesterday.

"Lieutenant," the Doctor exclaimed in surprise as he entered the room from his office where he had been doing some work. "I didn't realize you were scheduled for a shift in sickbay today."

"I'm not," Tom explained as he kept his eyes locked on the screen. "I thought I'd swing by and see how Seven's doing." While he trusted the Doctor's medical expertise, he needed to do something to make himself feel useful in terms of Seven's care. He'd grown very attached to her and her welfare in the caves, and now he had to see things through to the end.

"You're not the only one," the Doctor commented dryly with a roll of her eyes.

"How many times has Chakotay been by today?" Tom asked as he finally abandoned the information on the panel and leaned against it with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Three times, including once in the middle of the night." While the Doctor understood why Chakotay was so concerned about Seven, he just wished the First Officer would trust him to do his job. At this point, Seven's condition was stable, and there was very little to worry about. All they had to do was wait for her to wake up. It was all about being patient now, no matter how difficult that may be for all of them.

Before Tom could make any sort of sarcastic remark about Chakotay's inability to stay away, the doors to sickbay slid open. Both he and the Doctor half expected it to be the First Officer, but instead it was Icheb. The usually calm young man had concern written across his face as he made a beeline for Seven's biobed in the surgical bay.

"Ahh, and here's our other frequent visitor to sickbay," the Doctor commented. Icheb ignored the sarcastic tone. He had just finished his shift, and he wanted to check on Seven, which was perfectly reasonable in his mind. She would do the same if he was the one stuck in sickbay.

"How is she?" he asked without bothering to greet either man.

"She's the same as when you stopped by during lunch," the Doctor replied. "Your nanoprobe transplants are working perfectly and helping to expedite the regeneration process, although it will still probably be a few days before she's up."

"Why will it take so long?" Icheb inquired as he slid past Tom to analyze the information on the control panel, inadvertently elbowing the Lieutenant out of the way. It didn't bother him, he knew he was under a lot of stress.

"As I've explained before, Seven's body has been essentially drained of all energy. She's had to regenerate for several days in the past when she's had medical issues, which is why I'm not worried. If she'd been here for a week or two and still hadn't woken up, then I'd be concerned." Memories of the malfunctioning cortical implant and the mishap from the vinculum that had been tampered with came rushing back to both Tom and the Doctor. In both instances, Seven had had to regenerate for nearly a week, which was why both of them fully expected that to be the case once again. The answer didn't seem to sit well with Icheb. He scowled in frustration. All he wanted was to know that his mentor and close friend was alright, which he wouldn't know for sure until she woke up.

"Icheb, she's going to be fine," Tom assured. "Soon she'll be awake and ordering you around Astrometrics like nothing ever happened." The young man certainly hoped that he was right. They all seemed so positive right now, but they had no way of knowing what would happen when Seven woke up...if she even woke up. He chased the macabre thought from his mind. Of course she would wake up, and she would be her usual self right away. All he had to do was find a way to be patient and wait it out somehow.

Try as she might, B'Elanna couldn't concentrate. There were fifteen minutes left in her shift, which meant fifteen minutes until she had to go talk to Chakotay. All day, she'd tried to think of what to say to him, but nothing came to mind. She hadn't really seen much of him since he got back to _Voyager_ , not because she didn't want to, but she sensed that he needed his space. Some people liked to be surrounded by others when going through a difficult time, but Chakotay was the opposite; he just wanted his space to process the information on his own. He'd been that way after Seska left _Voyager_ , again after he thought he was going to be a father and then when Seska died. He mostly sequestered himself when it came to the women he cared about, so it didn't surprise overly surprise B'Elanna when he started acting distant. One day, he'd just snap out of it and act like his old self, but that wouldn't be for a while, not while he still struggled to process what was going on with Seven. While Tom hadn't told her everything that had happened on the away mission, she knew enough to know that it had been a disaster from nearly the moment they set foot on that planet. Suddenly, B'Elanna knew how to broach the situation with Chakotay. Since she hadn't seen him since he got back, she would just check in on him and let things go from there. She wouldn't make it look like she was checking in on him, just a social call between two old friends, and then she'd let things go from there.

At long last, the bell rang, signaling the end of the shift. Usually, B'Elanna stayed long after her shift to take care of random tasks in Engineering, but that wasn't the case today. She immediately shed her jacket and put it away before heading straight for Chakotay's office. Her crew could take care of things without her today.

She entered the nearby turbolift and said, "Deck one." The lift immediately whirred to life, giving her a few more moments to collect her thoughts and try to figure out what exactly to say. Unfortunately, her time was nearly up as the turbolift slowed to a stop, and the doors opened. She exited the lift and headed straight for Chakotay's office. She couldn't figure out why this of all things made her feel nervous, she was just going to talk to Chakotay, something she'd done hundreds of times in the past.

In his office, Chakotay read over the duty schedule for the upcoming week one last time to make sure everything was correct. He had to make sure everybody who had requested leave got it while also compensating for the fact that Seven was still off. There was no telling when she would be able to return to duty. Knowing her, she'd want to return to duty almost instantly, but the Doctor and the Captain may have other plans. To err on the side of caution, Chakotay kept her off the schedule for the entire week and had plans to keep her off the schedule for the following week as well if necessary, although by then he hoped that she would be awake and arguing to return to duty as quickly as possible.

The doorbell ringing caused Chakotay to glance up from the schedule in front of him. He sighed. He had been hoping to get this over with quickly so he could head down to sickbay for a little while to spend time with Seven before returning to his quarters for the evening. His job never seemed to end it seemed.

"Come in," he called in a somewhat annoyed tone. The doors slid open, and B'Elanna breezed inside as if she owned the place. As soon as she saw him, she was taken aback. He looked just as horrible as Chell described with dark circles under his eyes, the faint hint of stubble across his face as hollow cheeks that gave away that he'd lost a significant amount of weight since he left for the away mission only two weeks earlier. There was no doubt in her mind that he wasn't sleeping or taking care of himself. Despite that, he was still attempting to work, which was clear from the number of PADDS that were scattered across his usually well organized desk. Her big fear was that he was starting to lose control, and he'd spiral down a rabbit's hole he wouldn't be able to claw his way out of, even after Seven recovered. "B'Elanna, now's not a good time."

"Well that's too bad, because I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere," she announced as she threw herself down across from him. Knowing it was useless to try and argue with her, he put the PADD in his hand to talk to her. "I'm sorry for not stopping by sooner. I'm not going to make excuses, I should have taken the time to visit you sooner." Chakotay shrugged off the comment.

"I haven't exactly been in a social mood."

"Which is why I'm here." She crossed her legs and sat back comfortably, a sure sign that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. "When exactly were you planning on telling me about you and Seven?" Chakotay sighed. He should have expected that this was how the conversation would go. B'Elanna crossed her arms over her chest and glared angrily at him, which spoke volumes about how she felt right now. She felt betrayed. She came to him early on in her relationship with Tom, not because it was required by Starfleet to let superiors know, but because she needed someone to talk things out with, and she always trust Chakotay explicitly. Apparently he didn't feel the same, as he kept his own relationship to himself.

"If it makes you feel any better, the Captain didn't know either." The admission caught her off guard. At the very least, she assumed the Captain knew; Chakotay was closer to her than anyone else on _Voyager_ , well, he used to be anyway. She always wondered if there was something going on between the two of them, everyone on the crew thought so.

"Damn, Chakotay, you really kept this under wraps."

"That's the way we wanted it," he explained. "It was nice. We didn't have to worry about any pressure or any gossip, we could just focus on us." His eyes lit up at the memories of all the late night conversations in his quarters and the clandestine dates throughout the starship. In a way, the secrecy had been exciting. He felt like a young cadet again, sneaking into girls' dorms in the middle of the night for a late night romp.

"You really care for her, don't you?" B'Elanna sounded surprised at the realization. She hadn't expected him to act this way. When Tom first told her about the illicit relationship, she thought that it was nothing more than a fling. Both of them were so dedicated to their duties, they hardly had the time for a relationship. Clearly she was wrong, as Chakotay had nothing but admiration and devotion in his eyes.

"I do," he softly admitted

"Then I'm happy for you. You've spent too many years putting others first, you need to take care of yourself as well." Suddenly all the pieces fell into place for Chakotay. This wasn't a simple social visit, B'Elanna was here on a mission. He had to admit that he was impressed that she was able to hide her true motives for this long, she normally wasn't one to beat around the bush.

"I am taking care of myself," he argued. "I just have a lot of work to do. I left Kathryn with a lot of work since I was gone for so long. I have to finish up the duty schedule for next week, and I have a few disciplinary issues to take care of still." B'Elanna wasn't dumb, she knew that Chakotay was trying to get rid of her without being rude and telling her to get out. She could take a hint, but she was still determined to get to the bottom of this and make sure he was alright.

"How about you come over for dinner tomorrow?" she suggested as she stood up. "We'll replicate something, and you can play with Miral, seeing her always cheers you up." It was a gracious offer, but the thought of spending an evening with the Paris' wasn't exactly what he wanted to do. B'Elanna was right, normally spending time with Miral would make any bad day instantly better, but he simply wasn't in the mood.

"Thanks but no thanks. Maybe next time." She scowled.

"Chakotay-" He held up his hand to stop her from arguing with him.

"Maybe next time, B'Elanna," he repeated; his tone final. She knew him well enough that that was the end of the conversation. With a disgruntled _humph_ , she turned on her heels and stalked out of the room, leaving Chakotay alone, which was exactly what he wanted. He knew her heart was in the right place, but being social wasn't exactly high on his priority list right now. Besides, he normally spent his evenings in sickbay, waiting patiently for Seven to wake up.

As B'Elanna headed back to her quarters, she tried to think of a way to get Chakotay out of this mood he was in. She understood why he was acting like this, she would feel exactly the same way if it was Tom in Seven's current condition, but she hoped that Chakotay would do anything in his power to cheer her up. She wasn't about to give up though, she was far too stubborn for that. She would find a way to cheer Chakotay up, even if it was just a little bit. She saw it as her duty, not as a Starfleet officer, but as his close friend. If only she knew how to do it.

When B'Elanna entered her quarters, she couldn't help but smile at what she saw, instantly lifting her sour mood. Tom laid stretched out across the couch with Miral laying on her stomach on his chest. Both were fast asleep. One of his arms dangled loosely over the edge of the couch while the other held her in place as he snored softly. It was absolutely adorable. The screen on the far wall flashed colors and noise, indicating that he had fallen asleep while watching one of his dumb monster movies. B'Elanna rolled her eyes. She should have expected as much from him. She grabbed a nearby blanket and carefully covered both of them before leaning over to kiss the top of Miral's head before stealing a quick kiss from Tom. The intimate action was enough to rouse him from his light slumber. Drawing in a deep breath, he shifted as his eyes fluttered open.

"Hey," he whispered as he trailed his fingertips along her backside and the back of her thigh. It wasn't a sexual touch, just second nature to him.

"Hey," she parroted. "Sorry to wake you."

"No, it's fine. I just got home half an hour ago. I only meant to lay down for a few minutes before starting dinner." He made sure to keep his voice low, as the last thing he wanted to do was wake Miral, who looked so peaceful as she slept on her father's chest. "How's Chakotay?" A sigh slipped past B'Elanna threw herself down on the floor and leaned against the couch. Tom automatically draped his arm along her chest, holding her as close as possible given their current positions.

"He barely gave me the time of day," she grumbled. "All I could get out of him is that he cares about Seven more than anything else and that the Captain didn't even know about their relationship." Neither of those revelations were news to Tom; he could have saved B'Elanna the time and told her that himself. B'Elanna twisted her body around to look at her husband a little better. "He looks awful, Tom. I really thought that if I went to talk to him, he'd at least feel a little bit better and take care of himself." He stroked along her collarbone with his thumb.

"This has really taken it's toll on him. If I were in his shoes, I'd be acting the same way until I knew you were alright." B'Elanna couldn't help but smile at the confession. While she knew Tom would act that way, it was comforting to hear him tell her that. She took his hand and kissed the knuckles softly.

"I just wish I knew what to do to help him," she confessed.

"I know you do, babe, but there might not be anything you can do," he pointed out. "Everyone here is on edge until Seven gets back. I saw Sam today, and she said that Naomi's a wreck, and the Captain's starting to feel stressed also. We're all going to get through this. We just have to get through the next few days."

"You're starting to sound like Harry." Tom started to shrug but quickly remembered that Miral was still fast asleep on his chest and stopped himself just in time.

"Someone has to." He paused for a few moments as he tried to think of what to do next. He wished he had some better advice for his wife, but he couldn't think of anything. Advice wasn't necessarily his area of expertise, he was the type of person who acted impulsively and dealt with the consequences later. "So, what are you going to do?" B'Elanna sighed.

"I don't know," she admitted with a dejected shrug. She didn't sound upset but instead frustrated. She hated not knowing what to do next, especially when it came to her friend's welfare. "I'll talk to him again in a few days." She didn't sound entirely sure of her plan, but it was all she could think of right now. Hopefully it would work, although she didn't know what she wanted to happen.

 **Author's Note:** Be sure to let me know what you think by leaving a review!


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

The fist came flying out of nowhere and made contact with its target with a sickening _crunch_. Blood spurted freely from Chakotay's nose, and he saw stars, causing him to stumble backwards. He instinctively reached up to touch his nose to ascertain the damage until he remembered that he was still wearing his gloves. He'd been distracted for a split second, which was all it took for his opponent to get one good swing in. Undeterred by the injury he just inflicted, his opponent prepared to swing again, to get in another damaging blow. This time, however, Chakotay was ready. He blocked the swing and retaliated with a swing of his own. His glove came in contact with his unnamed opponent's cheek, sending him stumbling backwards until he finally lost his balance and fell to the ground. The bell rang behind him, signaling the end of the match. Chakotay immediately dropped his fists and exited the ring without even bothering to look back at his opponent.

Ignoring the throbbing pain from his nose, Chakotay snatched up his bottle of water and took a long drink, nearly draining it in the process. It was then that he noticed B'Elanna standing a few feet away. With an unamused expression on her face, she stood with her feet planted shoulder width apart and her arms crossed over her chest. He got the sense that she'd been there for a while, watching him in the ring, nearly getting his ass handed to him. With the exception of that last blow, his opponent nearly beat him, and it showed on his face. In addition to his broken nose, which still freely leaked blood down the front of his shirt, a bottled bruise marred his left cheek and a cut ran parallel to his right eyebrow, across his forehead and intersecting his tattoo above his left eye. It looked like it hadn't been much of a fight on his part. B'Elanna had seen Chakotay fight plenty of times, but she'd never seen him look like this before. It was as if he wasn't even trying, like he was just going through the motions, which never ended well when it came to boxing.

"Are you here to yell at me for turning the safeties off?" he asked as he threw himself down unceremoniously on one of the benches. His entire head hurt, as if someone had beat him over the head with a heavy, blunt object, which wasn't exactly untrue.

"You and I both know I'm the last person to lecture you about that. I'm here to check on you." A holographic Boothby approached Chakotay to help him remove his gloves, but B'Elanna ordered, "Computer, delete characters." The computer beeped as it complied with its order. She straddled the bench next to Chakotay and yanked off his gloves, carelessly tossing them to the side. "Are you sleeping?"

"Maybe four or five hours," he replied as he began to unwrap his hands, revealing his knuckles covered in several superficial cuts and bruises. The answer surprised B'Elanna. For someone who got four or five hours of sleep last night, Chakotay looked absolutely terrible. In additional to the facial wounds from boxing, he had bags under his eyes and hollowed out cheeks, nothing like his usual jovial self.

"Four or five hours last night?" That was definitely a good sign, he was starting to catch up on his sleep at least, although he didn't look like it. He shook his head in shame, refusing to look her in the eye.

"No, since we got back to _Voyager_ ," he admitted, his voice full of shame. B'Elanna's eyes nearly doubled in size at the admission.

"Chakotay, you've been back for six days now. That's not healthy!" she scolded angrily. She took his hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze. He barely felt her comforting touch as she chastised him. Enough was enough, she couldn't sit by and watch her closest friend spiral down into a deep depression. "I'm worried about you, Chakotay. You're not taking care of yourself, and I'm scared to death that something is going to happen to you. You cannot continue this way. You need to take care of yourself; you need to get your rest."

"I can't sleep, B'Elanna. Every time I do, I have these terrible nightmares that Seven, that she…" Unable to bring himself to say the words, he trailed off. Thankfully, B'Elanna knew exactly what he was talking about and didn't make him say it aloud.

"Seven is fine," she assured. "She's in sickbay, and the Doctor is doing everything in his power to take care of her." Logically, Chakotay knew she was right, but that didn't stop him from not going to sleep. Every single dream felt so real to him, and he couldn't bring himself to endure such torture. He'd rather suffer through extreme exhaustion than those horrible nightmares.

B'Elanna broke free of Chakotay's grip and grabbed his chin in her vice-like grip and turned his face to the side so she could examine his nose, which continued to bleed freely, along with the other injuries that plagued him. He really had been put through the wringer this time. Drops of blood splattered his grubby white shirt and beaded along the cut on his forehead. Unamused, she pursed her lips and glared at him.

"Speaking of taking care of others, you broke your nose and probably have a concussion," she pointed out bluntly.

"Probably." He shrugged. It wasn't the first time he'd broken his nose and got a concussion, and he doubted that it would be the last. Besides, he'd endured far worse injuries. In the grand scheme of things, a broken nose was hardly worth stressing over.

"I don't suppose you have a medkit around here somewhere," B'Elanna requested as she looked around. For the life of her, she couldn't understand some of the holodeck programs the men in her life ran. This was hardly the type of place she would want to spend her time. The entire place smelled like sweat and dirty men, the lights overhead flickered obnoxiously, and everything seemed dirty to the touch. She knew it was all holographic dirt, but that didn't stop her disgust. It was almost as bad as Tom and Harry's stupid Captain Proton program. The technology was primitive, and that whole black and white thing was annoying as hell.

"There's one under the holodeck control panel," Chakotay admitted dejectedly. B'Elanna got to her feet.

"I'll be back." As she walked away, she turned over her shoulder and called, "And if you get back in that ring-"

"Let me guess, you'll rip out my spine and beat me to death with it." She flashed Chakotay a knowing smile before disappearing out of sight. For a split second, he sounded like his usual self: jovial and teasing. She missed that side of Chakotay, and she hoped that it would be back soon.

Not in the mood to get B'Elanna even more upset with him, Chakotay sat dutifully on the bench. He felt like a small child sitting outside the principal's office, waiting to be reprimanded for misbehaving. He was used to B'Elanna's abrasive personality, but very rarely did she reprimand him like this, she usually saved that for Tom and his immature behavior. Chakotay knew he deserved it this time though, he had acted recklessly and probably would have continued to do so, allowing opponent after opponent to beat the hell out of him until he got fed up and headed back to his quarters.

"You're in luck, there's an osteo-regenerator in this medkit, which will save you a trip to sickbay, although I have a feeling that you'll be going there anyway," B'Elanna announced proudly as she reappeared and plunked herself down across from him. "Although, if the Doctor saw you like this, he'd probably refuse to let you leave." Deep down inside, she wondered if that was his plan all along, to injure himself so badly that he would have to stay in sickbay overnight where he could keep an eye on Seven without constantly being chased away by the Doctor.

"The Doctor worries too much," Chakotay complained. She rolled her eyes as she grabbed the osteo-regenerator.

"That's his job," she pointed out as she clutched his chin in one hand and turned his head to get the best view to repair his broken nose. "Although, if I had any brain cells, I'd force you to go to sickbay because then maybe you'd get some help." She ran the osteo-regenerator over his shatter nose, repairing the damage done by the holographic opponent. It had been one hell of a blow, and she feared that he might actually need minor surgery to fix it. Chakotay grimaced uncomfortably as the bones repaired themselves.

"I don't need any help," he argued pathetically. B'Elanna rolled her eyes. She should have figured he would say that. She finished the brief medical procedure and put the device back in the medkit before examining her handiwork. The osteo-regenerator had managed to get the job done, and she'd been wrong about needing surgery, although she was tempted to send him down to sickbay so the Doctor could see what he was up to. Instead, she pulled out the dermal regenerator and ran it over the cut and the bruise respectively until they disappeared as well.

"There, good as new. Although your shirt is ruined." Chakotay looked down at the soiled garment.

"Well damn, this was my favorite shirt." Once again, he sounded like his old self, even if it was for a brief instant. She snapped closed the medkit and closed it with a secure _click_. "You don't need to check on me, B'Elanna. I can take care of myself." She rolled her eyes.

"Well someone's gotta look after your pathetic ass while Seven's unconscious," she snapped before letting out a sigh. She was going about this all the wrong ways. This wasn't just anyone she was talking to, this was Chakotay. He was her confidante, the person she turned to when she was having a bad day, even more so than Tom. There were no secrets between them, and she had to treat him accordingly to get him to realize the severity of his behavior. "You've always gone out of your way to look after others, let someone look after you now." She put her hand on his knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You're my best friend here, and I hate seeing you like this." He put his large hand on top of hers.

"Don't let Tom hear you talking like that," he commented dryly. Her little speech was very moving. He certainly felt the same way about her, although they had never felt the need to say it aloud, it was implied between them. "But I'm fine. I'll, I'll try to get some more sleep tonight or something." He didn't necessarily sound reassuring, but it was better than nothing. "I'd hug you, but I don't want to get blood all over your uniform."

"I'm Klingon, a little blood never bothered me." Mindful of the still wet bloodstains on his shirt, she slid her arms around his neck in a quick hug. She got the sense that he was just going through the motions to appease her, not because he genuinely believed that he was going to change his behavior. The hug did little to reassure her though, as it caused her to realize how much weight he'd lost. Yes, Tom had lost some weight on the away mission from their limited food supply, but he'd started gaining it back. Chakotay, on the other hand, continued to lose weight, which told her that in addition to not sleeping, he wasn't eating. The realization caused her to feel sick to her stomach. Getting him back to his old self was going to take a lot more than a heart to heart in the holodeck. He needed far more to get him back on his feet.

B'Elanna pulled away from Chakotay and smoothed her hair back from her face. She wanted to feel better about this situation, but she only felt worse. She thought that talking to him would give her some peace of mind, tell her that she was being overprotective and that he really was alright. She was wrong. Chakotay was falling apart, barely hanging on by a thread at this point.

"I have to go," she announced as she stood up. She was going about this all wrong. If she wanted Chakotay to get back to his normal self, talking to him wasn't the way to go. "Remember your promise." He rolled his eyes. He didn't need to be coddled like a small child. Contrary to how it looked, he could take care of himself.

"So you're the one giving orders now?" he teased, momentarily sounding like himself, although the playful sparkle was missing from his eyes.

"You better believe it." With a smirk on her face, she gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He glanced up at her for a second but didn't say anything else. With a new plan forming in her mind, B'Elanna exited the holodeck and headed for the bridge. If she was going to get Chakotay back on his feet, then she needed to bring out the big guns.

In her ready room, Kathryn finished looking over the last of the reports for the day. She was done earlier than she usually was, although the day shift had ended two hours ago. Right as she put down the last PADD in a pile on one side of her desk, her doorbell rang. She had been hoping to head back to her quarters for a nice, quiet, early evening, maybe with a good book and hot cup of coffee, but, as always, duty seemed to get in the way.

"Enter," she called. There was a hint of frustration to her voice that she couldn't mask. She really was tired and wanted nothing more than to retire to her quarters for the night. B'Elanna entered the ready room. Based on the determined look on her face, there was something bothering her.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked bluntly.

"Of course," Kathryn replied as she motioned for the engineer to have a seat across from her. Her tone and gaze immediately softened. It wasn't like B'Elanna to just appear in her ready room like this, so she knew it had to be serious. "How's Miral?" she asked eagerly as she leaned forward. She'd been meaning to check in on the lieutenant over the past few days, but she'd been so wrapped up with everything that she hadn't had much of a chance.

"Miral's fine, she's glad to have her father back."

"I bet you're glad to have him back also."

"That's an understatement," B'Elanna commented sarcastically as she sat back and crossed her legs. With Tom back, things were just about back to normal for the small family. He really stepped up, immediately jumping back into his role as father, doing everything in his power to make her life easier and make up for the time that he was gone. Not once did he complain that he was tired or say that he needed some time to recover from being stuck on that planet and being shot, even though B'Elanna offered to give him some time to ease back into things. In true Tom Paris fashion, he jumped in feet first, ready to get back into the swing of things. As much as she loved talking about her daughter, however, B'Elanna was here to talk about something she thought was far more important. "I'm here to talk about Chakotay though." As soon as she heard why B'Elanna was here, Kathryn's gaze softened. In all honesty, she was surprised it took her this long to come to her about him. Several members of the crew, particularly bridge officers who were used to Chakotay's typically upbeat attitude, had expressed concern, making comments under their breath in passing. Before she could ask what in particular was bothering her, she continued, "He's not sleeping, and he's not eating. I just caught him on the holodeck boxing without the safety protocols on, and it looked like someone beat the hell out of him." Normally Kathryn would worry about a crew member using the holodeck without the safeties on, but she knew that that was common for Chakotay when he boxed. They'd had conversations about it in the past, and he always argued that it wasn't the same and that he was always in complete control of the situation. Of course, he was also a top notch boxer, which meant that if he looked as terrible as B'Elanna said, then things must be far worse than she originally thought. "I'm terrified that he's going to end up seriously hurt and in sickbay."

"I am too," Kathryn admitted. The confession caught B'Elanna off guard. Normally, the Captain did her best to keep her emotions in check and almost never spoke so openly to most members of the crew; the exception being Chakotay of course, so for her to make such an admission, the situation must be far worse than she originally realized. "I've tried talking to him several times, but he won't listen."

"You're the Captain, can't you order him to take better care of himself?" B'Elanna voice rose with emotion and frustration. She knew it sounded ridiculous, like an incredibly juvenile solution to an incredibly serious problem, but it was the only one she could think of. The Captain and Chakotay had a strange bond, something no member of the crew really understood, no matter how hard they tried.

"I have, but it won't work. If he can't sleep, I can't do much about that. I'm not about to force him to seek medical help if his life isn't in jeopardy. I know it's difficult, B'Elanna, but my hands are tied." Kathryn sounded absolutely exhausted, and B'Elanna got the sense that she was kept awake most nights thinking about how to help her beloved First Officer. She hated adding to the Captain's stress, but she couldn't just sit around and watch passively as her friend spiraled out of control.

"There has to be something you can do!" By now, B'Elanna was shouting. She hadn't meant to let her emotions get the better of her, but this was a dire situation here. In her opinion, Chakotay's health was on the line. If he didn't get help, and soon, Seven could wake up to find him in the biobed next to her, in just as serious a condition as she had been in. Kathryn pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger as she tried to think of something. Suddenly, she had an idea. While it might not help Chakotay sleep or eat, it might help him feel a little bit better. It was so simple, she had no idea why she hadn't thought of it sooner.

"I want all the Senior Officers in my quarters at 1900 hours," she finally said in a firm voice. Caught off guard, B'Elanna lowered herself to a seated position once again. There was confusion etched across her face. It sounded like she was giving orders, not coming up with a solution to their problem.

"Excuse me?" she blurted out.

"We haven't done anything social in a while. I know it won't be the same with Seven not there, but at least it's something. It'll just be a small social, nothing fancy. Bring Miral, she always cheers Chakotay up." B'Elanna wasn't entirely sure if a small get together was what Chakotay needed to feel better, but at least it was something. Kathryn seemed fairly optimistic that her little plan would work. "Spread the word to the other Senior Officers."

"Should I tell Chakotay?" Kathryn shook her head. Both women knew that Chakotay wouldn't readily join in the small social gathering, not without putting up some sort of fight. Usually, he would be the first one there and the last one to leave, but given the current situation in his life, that wasn't the case. The order would have to come down from above, from Kathryn, not B'Elanna.

"No, leave him to me." B'Elanna stood up.

"Thank you, Captain." Although she didn't sound completely relieved with the plan they put in place, she certainly felt a little bit better. With any luck, the Captain's plan would help at least a little bit. Right now, her main concern was Chakotay and ensuring he was alright. With any luck, this little, impromptu get together would help, even just a little bit.

Chakotay knew he had to look like a strange sight as he walked down the corridor towards his quarters. He knew there was still dried blood under his nose, when paired with the blood splatter on his shirt and the exhausted, haggard expression that was starting to be the new norm for him, he knew he looked like a madman. For that reason, he didn't at all take it personally when crewmen did double takes and skirted around him cautiously as they headed off towards their destinations; he would have done the same in their shoes. Maintaining his brisk pace, he stalked down the corridor to his quarters where he planned on showering and heading down to sickbay for a little while. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well look after Seven.

Once in the privacy of her quarters, Chakotay ripped off his ruined t-shirt and cast it aside carelessly on the bed. He pulled off his shorts and tossed them in the general direction of his closet but didn't actually check to make sure they got there. Instead, he headed straight for the bathroom.

"Computer, activate sonic shower." The computer beeped as it complied with the order. Without bothering to make sure the shower as at the frequency he wanted, Chakotay entered the shower and tried to relax as the sonic pulses vibrated across his body, shaking away the dirt and sweat from his workout. He had hoped that boxing would make him feel better like it normally did, but it didn't. In fact, it made him feel worse. His muscles ached, and he felt absolutely exhausted. Sleep was the last thing he wanted though, he couldn't bring himself to sleep and subject himself to that torture.

Feeling clean, Chakotay exited the shower. Without bothering to grab a towel, as no one was around to see him, he headed for his closet where he pulled on a fresh pair of pants and a button down shirt. No sooner had he finished buttoning up his shirt did the doorbell ring, causing him to sigh with frustration. The last thing he wanted right now was visitors. As he pinned his combadge to his shirt, he exited the closet. The doorbell rang again, causing him to quicken his pace. Whoever was there was obviously in a hurry. He hoped it wasn't any sort of emergency, the last thing he wanted to do was be dragged out of his quarters for some sort of perceived emergency. When he finally opened the doors, the sight of Kathryn caught him off guard. At least it wasn't an emergency. It took him a few moments to regain his composure.

"Kathryn! What are you-" The answer to his question dawned on him before he even finished asking it. "Our weekly dinner," he sighed, answering his own question. With everything going on, he completely forgot about their standing dinner, even though it was something they'd done nearly every week for nearly eight years now.

"Actually, our weekly dinner was supposed to be last night," Kathryn said as she breezed brazenly into Chakotay's quarters without even bothering to ask for permission.

"Kathryn, I'm sorry. I completely forgot, and I wasn't exactly in the mood to have company." She waved off the comment dismissively with a flick of her wrist. He was trying to subtly hint that he wanted her to leave, and she knew it. Rather than honor his wishes, however, she made herself at home.

"I didn't expect you to, so I slaved over a hot replicator, promptly ruined the meal and invited Tuvok to dinner instead." With her arms crossed over her chest, she turned to face him properly. "I'm here to check on you." Her voice had shifted from jovial and cheerful to soft and concerned. Right as he opened his mouth, she cut him off, "And don't you dare tell me that you're fine, because anyone with eyes can see that you aren't." He sighed. She had taken the words right out of his mouth. It was slightly unnerving how often she did that, although he often did the same thing to her. It was a result of them working so closely for so long.

"Well then, you've seen me and can see that I'm...okay, and there's nothing that can really change how I'm feeling." Unconvinced, Kathryn looked around the typically neat and organized quarters. Usually he kept his quarters spotless, ready to entertain guests at a moment's notice. Today, however, everything was a mess. It looked like how Tom's quarters used to look before he and B'Elanna moved in together: with clothes and dirty dishes all over the place. Cleaning was obviously the furthest thing from his mind.

"See, that's where you're wrong." There was an unsettling sparkle in Kathryn's eyes that Chakotay didn't like at all. He was familiar with that expression; she had a plan, and he was fairly sure that it involved him. "I'm here to take you out." He raised an eyebrow in slight amusement.

"Out?" he repeated. As awful as he felt, he had to admit that he was slightly intrigued now, even though he fully intended to turn down whatever her offer was.

"Okay, maybe not out, but the Senior Officers are all currently gathering in my quarters. It's been too long since we've all done anything together." The thought of sitting around, forcing himself to socialize with the Senior Officers and act like everything was alright made him feel slightly nauseous, even though they were all his close friends.

"We won't all be there," he pointed out bitterly. Kathryn glared at him.

"Then we'll do it again when Seven's back to her usual self. In the meantime, I'm here to drag you out of here to have a little fun. It's what Seven would want." Chakotay wasn't convinced. At first, he hadn't minded spending some time with Kathryn, but the thought of spending time with all the Senior Officers was a little too much for him. Normally he welcomed any down time with them, as those moments tended to be few and far between, but he simply wasn't in the mood. It was too many people, too much socializing for his liking right now.

"I don't know…" He tried to walk away, but Kathryn magically appeared directly in front of him with an unamused expression on her face. He knew that look, she was a woman on a mission. Normally, he would just give in to her command, but not this time.

"Chakotay, you have to get out of here, you have to at least try and be yourself," she pleaded. "You're going to make yourself sick, and I'm not about to sit by passively and watch you do it. This is what you need right now."

"Is that an order?"

"I hope it won't come to that, but I can order you if that's what it takes." Chakotay scowled.

"Fine," he relented bitterly. He'd go, but he never said how long he'd stay. It was the perfect loophole to get him out of this after just a little while so he could go down to sickbay, which was where he really wanted to be. It would appear that he had no choice on the matter. He could argue with Kathryn, putting her in a terrible mood, or he could give in, stay for an hour at the very most, going through the motions until he could finally excuse himself and retreat to sickbay, where he really wanted to be.

In the Captain's quarters, Tom made himself right at home. He held a beer in one hand while the other hand trailed along B'Elanna's spine as she sat on the arm of the chair with Miral in her arms. Even with the short notice, the Captain had managed to go all out for her Senior Officers. All types of food were spread across the table so anyone could help themselves. Cold beers and several bottles of wine rested on the dining room table, along with non-alcoholic drinks for those, such as B'Elanna and Tuvok, who either couldn't drink or didn't want to drink. Laughter filled the room as Kathryn, as always, played the perfect hostess. It really had been far too long since they had done something like this, although there were two noticeable absences: Chakotay and Seven. While nobody commented on it, everyone noticed that they weren't there. It was impossible for Seven to make it to the social gathering, but they all had secretly hoped that Chakotay would stop by, at least for a little while.

Kathryn took a sip of wine and wondered where Chakotay was. He'd given his word that he'd be there, and she believed him, not wanting to believe that he lied to her just to get her to leave him alone. She didn't want to go and retrieve him from his quarters, but she would if she had to. This entire gathering was all for him, whether he wanted it or not. It would be good for him to do this. Right as she was about to head to his quarters, her doorbell rang. The laughter immediately stopped, as everyone knew who it was.

"Come in," Kathryn called from her seat on the couch next to Tuvok. The door slid open, revealing Chakotay. Not only had he arrived, but he had shaved and almost looked like his normal self.

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he entered the room. Usually he was perfectly comfortable in situations like this, but right now, all he wanted to do was leave. All eyes were on him as he crossed the room and sat on the couch next to Kathryn. Smiling, she gave his knee a thankful squeeze.

"Well damn, Captain, I didn't think you'd actually get him to come," B'Elanna teased. She was honestly surprised that he even showed up, despite the fact that it was the Captain who summoned him here in the first place.

"I should have figured you were behind this," Chakotay commented with a roll of his eyes. While he wasn't surprised at all by Kathryn's actions, he was even less surprised to find out that B'Elanna had her hand in it as well. He should always worry when the two of them were together, they were a dangerous pair. B'Elanna ignored the comment.

"How's your nose?" she asked. From where she sat, you couldn't even tell that Chakotay had smashed his nose a few hours earlier.

"What happened to your nose?" Kathryn demanded as she grabbed Chakotay's face in her free hand and turned his head from side to side to get a better look. As far as she could tell, his nose looked fine, but if B'Elanna said that something had happened to him, then she believed her.

"I broke it on the holodeck," Chakotay admitted. Kathryn looked at him disapprovingly. She was well aware that he used his boxing program without the safeties on, no matter how many times she told him not to. "I'm fine though, I promise." She continued to glare at him while she took a sip of wine. She wasn't going to fight with him, as it would probably only cause him to leave, which defeated the entire purpose of this gathering.

The food spread out across the coffee table all looked incredibly tempting to Chakotay. As soon as he looked at it, he realized that it was a lot of his favorites. There was no way that could be a coincidence. He gave Kathryn a knowing look as he grabbed a cookie and took a small bite out of it. All of this was for him, which only made him feel more uncomfortable and regret coming here. He didn't want all this attention, he just wanted to make an appearance out of respect for Kathryn, then head down to sickbay where he really wanted to be.

"Everyone, eat," Kathryn announced as she motioned towards the food. "I promise, all if it came from the replicator, I wouldn't subject you to my cooking."

"She's right. This food is too good to be made by her," Chakotay teased. She scoffed playfully as she nudged his leg with hers. He cracked a small smile. Perhaps he could stay a little bit longer than he originally intended.

"Hey babe, can you grab me a plate?" Tom asked. B'Elanna's gaze immediately hardened.

"What's wrong with your legs? Are they broken?" she demanded.

"No, you're just closer." To make his point, he nudged her to her feet. She rolled her eyes. She wouldn't exactly call it closer. When she looked at him, however, she couldn't say no, not when he looked at her with his alluring blue eyes.

"Fine," she snapped. "Hold Miral though." Careful not to wake their sleeping daughter, the couple transferred her from her mother's arms to her father's. As he cradled Miral in his free arm, he took a sip of his beer. "Aren't you father of the year," B'Elanna quipped with a roll of her eyes. Tom simply shrugged. This was hardly the first time he'd had a drink while taking care of Miral, and he doubted it would be the last. As long as he was careful and limited the amount that he drank, he didn't really see why it was a big deal.

Without really bothering to look at what she grabbed, B'Elanna threw some food on a plate for Tom and handed it to him with an arrogant smirk. He was out of hands and wouldn't be able to hold his beer, Miral and his plate of food. Clearly there was a flaw to his genius plan to send his wife to prepare a plate for him.

"What are you going to do now?" she teased as she raised an eyebrow in amusement. Her expression told him that there was absolutely no way she was going to help him, so he might as well find a solution to his problem. The wheels in his head starting turning, mentally thinking of a way to do this without the help of his less than amused wife.

"Here, I'll take Miral." Kathryn couldn't resist holding and fawning over her youngest crew member. Perhaps it was her unwavering dedication to all her crew members or the maternal instinct she never had a chance to fully explore. Either way, she always felt drawn to the infant and wanted to spoil her rotten, just like nearly every other member of the crew.

"Thanks Captain." Tom sounded somewhat relieved to have found a simple solution to his problem as Kathryn plucked the infant out of his arms and held her close against her chest.

As soon as Kathryn sat down between Chakotay and Tuvok on the couch, Miral's dark brown eyes slowly opened. All three of them braced themselves for the impending screams that usually accompanied Miral waking up for a nap. Rather than scream, however, the infant looked around the room and took in her surroundings with intrigue and curiosity written across her round face.

"Good morning," Kathryn cooed with a smile as she stroked Miral's chubby cheek with her knuckle.

"I hear you got to play babysitter while I was gone," Tom commented.

"Just for one night," Kathryn said. "And that was more than enough to wear me out. I don't know how you guys do it."

"You babysat Miral?" Harry asked in shock. While he knew the Captain always went above and beyond for her crew, he was still surprised to find out that she went as far as to babysit for B'Elanna. No other Starfleet captain would go so far, but, then again, Kathryn Janeway wasn't exactly a typical Starfleet Captain.

"Of course I did." Kathryn sounded a bit shocked that Harry was surprised at the admission. She bounced the infant in her arms and patted her lovingly on the back to prevent her from crying. Thankfully, the child was too interested in staring at Tuvok to start crying and making a scene. "I took her for an entire night, and I was an excellent, although very tired, babysitter."

"Were you really that exhausted?" Tom asked his wife. This was all news to him. He knew that the away mission had been incredibly difficult on his wife, it was the longest she'd taken care of Miral on her own. When he got back and asked how things had gone, she never once implied that it had been too much for her to handle. He wouldn't have judged her, instead he would have sympathized with her, tried to find a way to make it work out better the next time he went on an away mission, not that he planned on going on another mission any time soon. She shrugged.

"I wasn't really exhausted, but I was definitely getting worn out." She took a drink of her water. "I don't know how Sam does it. I know Naomi is older now, but she's still essentially raising her all on her own." In the first year or two of Naomi's life, Sam always looked exhausted. Thankfully she had Neelix, who always stepped up and wanted to dote upon his beloved goddaughter, giving her a few precious minutes to herself. Now that Naomi was older, it was definitely easier, as she could be trusted to take care of herself while her mother was on duty.

"Ensign Wildman is hardly on her own," Tuvok interjected. "The entire crew has taken it upon themselves to help raise Naomi, as I am sure they will do with Miral."

"There's an ancient Earth saying: it takes a village to raise a child, and that's what's going to happen here," Kathryn added. A smile spread across Tom's face.

"Excellent, so who's taking Miral tonight?" he teased as he looked to each member of the Senior Officers hopefully. Even though he was joking around, he hoped, deep down inside, that one of them would step up and offer to take Miral so he and B'Elanna could spend a night together.

"Keep dreaming," Harry retorted with a roll of his eyes. "We'll help, but you're still her parents." He'd watched Miral for an hour and a half one time, and that was more than enough for him. For such a small infant, she certainly needed a lot of attention.

"Come on, Harry, where's your sense of adventure?"

"Last time you said that, we'd spent the entire day dragging ourselves across a desert planet and were about to sleep under the stars without tents." As soon as the words left Harry's mouth, he instantly regretted them. He hadn't meant to bring up the disastrous away mission; there was an unspoken rule that nobody mention it, at least not until Seven was back to normal. He could see Chakotay's face fall as he thought about that night together, it had been the last time he and Seven had been together. Kathryn slid her hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze as if to tell him that everything would be alright, but he barely noticed. His mind was far from here, more concerned about Seven than being social.

As if she sensed the discomfort that had settled over the group, Miral opened her small mouth and let and one of her signature unnaturally loud wails, prompting both her parents to scramble to her feet. Her timing was perfect. It jolted Chakotay out of his thoughts, temporarily distracting him from his desire to head right down to sickbay and spending the rest of the night glued to Seven's side like the dutiful boyfriend he was.

"Tom, did you remember to bring her bottle?" B'Elanna asked over the unnerving screams that filled the expansive quarters and made all conversation nearly impossible. Tom's face fell when he realized that he'd left Miral's bottle sitting on the kitchen table back in their quarters. "Damn-it, Tom, I asked you to do one thing!"

"I'm sorry, I was a little distracted."

"You were watching that damn television." Tom was about to point out that she was the one who built it for him, but ultimately decided against it, as it would only make matters worse. He really had dropped the ball here. It wasn't exactly like B'Elanna could nurse Miral here, she would have to return to their quarters, either to get the bottle or feed their daughter herself.

"B'Elanna, you can go take care of Miral in my room," Kathryn interjected in an attempt to put an end to the bickering. In all honesty, she had no idea how Tom and B'Elanna had managed to last this long if something as simple as a forgotten baby bottle caused them to start fighting. B'Elanna sighed. It was a gracious offer on the part of the Captain.

"Thanks, Captain," she grumbled as she plucked her daughter out of Kathryn's arms and gently bounced her up and down, although it did absolutely nothing to stop the hungry wails. Still seething with anger, she spun around to face Tom. "I'm not done with you yet." Feeling like a little boy being reprimanded by his mother, Tom sank back in his chair. He had no doubt that he was in for it when they got back to their quarters.

As many times as B'Elanna had been in Kathryn's quarters, she'd never before set foot in her bedroom. It felt strange, almost like she was violating her privacy even though she had told her to come in here. This was far different than just hanging out in her main room, this was where the Captain slept; it felt highly invasive. Feeling uncomfortable, B'Elanna sat on the edge of the bed. The discomfort only increased as she adjusted her shirt to nurse Miral. Not only was she in the Captain's bedroom, but she was practically topless in the Captain's bedroom. When she looked down at her daughter nursing, however, she put aside her discomfort and made the best of the situation. She would be able to suck it up for a little while if it was in the best interest of her daughter.

The Doctor had just finished running a scan on Seven when the doors to sickbay slid open and Aritlin entered. Although he'd only been on board for a few days, the newcomer was starting to become a familiar face all around the starship, especially sickbay. With the exception of Chakotay and Icheb, the newest addition to the crew was the most frequent visitor around here.

"Ahh, Mr. Aritlin, what can I do for you?" the Doctor greeted cheerfully as he came out from around the biobed in the surgical bay. The small alcove was starting to look more like a crewman's personal quarters and less like sickbay with the addition of all the get well soon cards from Naomi Wildman and the flowers sent courtesy of Chakotay and the Captain. Usually, the Doctor would find such decorations obnoxious and bothersome, but since they were for Seven, he ignored them. He was more than willing to make an exception for her and those close to her. In a way, they weren't sending the little trinkets for her but instead for themselves, to make it feel like they were doing something to help expedite her recovery process.

"I just came by to see how Seven's doing," Aritlin replied. Although he'd never actually met Seven, he felt like he knew her. He made sure to stop by at least once a day to check on her, although nothing ever changed.

"Seven is doing fine." The Doctor motioned towards the main console, which Aritlin approached. He tapped the screen and began to pull up all sorts of information from his most recent scans. "Thanks to the transplants from Icheb, her nanoprobe levels are nearly back to normal. Her body systems are functioning normally." As he spoke, the Doctor continued to scroll through the information on the console to help demonstrate his point. "Her brain activity is normal as well. All we have to do now is wait." Aritlin sighed. It was both a sigh of relief and a sigh of frustration. Based on what the Doctor said, she was going to be fine, but he was also frustrated because she still wasn't awake. "If you don't mind me saying, many people on this starship are worried about Seven, but they've known her for years. You've barely known her a week, and you're here than most crewmen to check on her. Why?" Aritlin had been asking himself the same question for a while now, and it was the unimaginable guilt that kept him up at night that brought him here on a daily basis to check on the stranger.

"I feel responsible for her condition. If my people hadn't tricked her to coming to our planet and stolen her…" He trailed off as the name of the strange device temporarily escaped him. "Mobile regenerator, then she wouldn't be here right now."

"You can't play this what if game. Seven would call it an inefficient use of time." The Doctor put a comforting hand on Aritlin's shoulder and motioned for him to enter his office.

"You know, I've never actually met her, but I feel like I know her in a way," Aritlin confessed as he entered the Doctor's office and sat across his desk from him. "Can you tell me a little about her? How did you end up with a Borg on your ship in the first place?" That was what Aritlin really wanted to know, although he never had the courage to ask. The Borg weren't exactly the type of beings who would readily leave the Collective and join a starship.

"It was about four years ago," the Doctor started. Consumed by thoughts and memories, he launched into the harrowing story of how, against all the odds, Seven of Nine became a valued member of a Starfleet crew.

The Doctor had just finished explaining to Aritlin how Seven had joined _Voyager_ 's crew when a loud beeping noise caught the attention of both of them. In a flash, the Doctor was on his feet and rushing out of his office with Aritlin hot on his heels.

"What's going on?" Aritlin asked over the sound of the beeping. For a moment, he thought they were in a red alert until he realized that it was one of the consoles near the surgical bay making the noise.

"I have no idea," the Doctor replied as he snatched up one of the medical tricorders and began to scan Seven. If he had a heart, he was sure it would be pounding in his chest right now as he tried to figure out what was going on. Everything had been fine for several days now, lulling him into a certain sense of security. Now, he feared that things were taking a turn for the worse.

Chakotay smiled and shook his head in disbelief as Harry regaled everyone with his and Tom's latest adventures as Captain Proton and Buster Kincaid on the holodeck. As much as he hated to admit it, Kathryn had been right, this was exactly what he needed. While he didn't feel like his usual upbeat self, he definitely felt a little bit better than he had been feeling the past week and a half or so. He almost felt human. The realization brought to light how out of it he had been feeling since being reunited with Seven. She wouldn't appreciate his behavior over the past week and a half. She could almost hear her scolding him for being inefficient and neglecting his duties as First Officer.

Chakotay's thoughts of Seven were interrupted by the Doctor's voice coming over the comm system, saying, "Sickbay to Commander Chakotay." Silence immediately fell over the room as Chakotay perked up. His heart pounded nervously in his chest. In his mind, there were only two reasons the Doctor would be calling him, and one of them was very good and one of them was very bad.

"Go ahead, Doctor," he finally managed to say. His nerves were starting to get the better of him. It felt like an eternity until the Doctor continued.

"You better get down here." The Doctor paused for a moment, although it felt like forever, not only to Chakotay but every Senior Officer; they all seemed to hold their breath nervously. "She's awake."

 **Author's Note:** It's the moment a lot of you have been waiting for! Let me know how you feel by leaving me a review.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Kathryn struggled to keep up with Chakotay as he rushed down the corridor towards sickbay. Anxiety seemed to roll off him as he jogged, weaving around any member of the crew who happened to be in the way. She could see it in the way he tightened his fists and clenched his jaw. There was no way of knowing what type of situation they were walking into in sickbay; the Doctor's voice had been difficult to read over the comsystem. All they could do was hurry down there and hope for the best. Kathryn knew he didn't need her to go with him, but it was her duty as Captain of this vessel to ensure the safety of all members of her crew, not to mention as his friend and confidante. Besides, she had been worried sick about Seven for the past week as well, although she had done a much better job at hiding her emotions than Chakotay. This past week had been hell for her. Hopefully now things would go back to normal.

As soon as Chakotay entered sickbay, every ounce of anxiety dissipated when he saw Seven sitting on the edge of the biobed with her legs dangling above the ground. As far as he could tell, she was back to her usual self, as if nothing had even happened to her, just like he'd hoped and prayed while stuck on that awful planet. At first glance, it looked like she was just here for one of her regular checkups.

"Doctor, I feel fine," she snapped in an irritated voice. The sound of her voice was like music to Chakotay's ears. It was slightly softer and weaker than usual, but it was nothing like the weak, barely audible voice she had during their last conversation, which seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I don't care how you feel, lie down. You've been through a serious medical ordeal, and I am not going to let you out of here until I have thoroughly examined you," the Doctor argued as he attempted to scan Seven with his tricorder. The task was made significantly more difficult by the fact that she kept moving and trying to push him out of the way. As soon as she saw the Captain and Chakotay, her eyes lit up, hoping that they would offer her some sort of reprieve.

"Captain, please tell the Doctor that I am undamaged," she pleaded desperately. Kathryn put her hand up to stop the Doctor before he could continue the argument. She hadn't come all the way down here to mediate a disagreement.

"Seven, I'm inclined to agree with the Doctor. Let him examine you and determine if you really are fine." Seven scowled with frustration. Giving the Captain's penchant for forgoing medical assistance, she really did think she would be on her side.

"But I feel fine." To make her point, she pushed herself off the biobed, but as soon as her feet hit the ground, her knees buckled beneath her. In a flash, Chakotay was at her side. He grabbed her firmly by the arms and helped her sit back on the biobed. Her fingers lingered against his strong arms, and his gaze immediately softened. From up close she could see the distinct shimmer of tears in his eyes. It took her a moment to realize that they were tears of joy and relief. He trailed his fingers along her arm lightly as he pulled away to give the Doctor room to work. It was surprisingly painful for him to let her go. Now that she was awake, he never wanted to let her go again. As a sort of unspoken compromise, he hovered just a few feet away, barely out of arm's reach, so he could jump in at a moment's notice.

The Doctor kept his eyes locked firmly on his tricorder as he scanned Seven. As he predicted, the results all told him that she was fine. There was no lasting damage to any of her systems, and she appeared to be perfectly within her mental faculties. Despite the positive readings on his tricorder, he still had some reluctance about letting her waltz off to what could be considered her quarters without a second thought. It would be highly irresponsible to allow her to do that. Based on what he saw, her body was still weak, and it would still take several days or even a week for her to be back to her normal self. This was just the first step in her healing process.

"Do the scans tell you that I am undamaged?" Seven questioned, although she already knew what the answer was. Contrary to what the Doctor thought, she knew her body well enough to know that she was fine. Unamused, the Doctor returned the small scanner back to its slot in his tricorder and snapped the device closed.

"You appear to be fine, although I must advise against you leaving. You need to rest." She scowled. That wasn't exactly the answer she wanted to hear. She felt fine, so she should be able to return to duty.

"I can rest in my quarters." Now that the Doctor was done, Chakotay stepped forward and put a hand on Seven's back. As crazy and possessive as it may sound, he just needed to feel her beneath his touch as a way to reassure himself that she was fine.

"Seven, your quarters is a cargo bay without anywhere to actually rest and stay off your feet," the Captain pointed out.

"Exactly," the Doctor interjected. He was glad the Captain was starting to see things his way. "For that reason, I'd like to keep you here, at least overnight."

"I will not comply," Seven snapped haughtily. She turned to Chakotay with desperation with the hopes that he would back her up. He knew how much she hated being stuck in sickbay, especially when she felt perfectly fine; it was an inefficient use of medical resources and her time. Once she got up and moving, she would be back to her usual self and would be able to show them that she was fine.

"Seven, I agree with the Doctor," Chakotay admitted softly, trying to gently coax her into following the Doctor's directions. Her gaze immediately hardened. He was supposed to be the one to support her no matter what, and here he was supporting the Doctor and the Captain instead. She clenched her jaw in frustration. "There's nowhere for you to rest in the cargo bay."

"I've been resting for the past week. I do not require any more rest. My implants are fully regenerated."

"You're only partially Borg," the Doctor pointed out. "Your human systems need to recover as well. It'll probably be a few more days until you're back to your usual self. You may feel fine now, but I have my doubts." That was the last thing Seven wanted to hear. Sitting here on the edge of the biobed, she felt perfectly fine, like she could return to Astrometrics right away. "I cannot in good consciousness release you if you have nowhere to recuperate." Essentially, she needed to find somewhere else to stay or else be stuck here in sickbay.

"You claim that my cargobay is is inadequate for my recovery, therefore I have nowhere to go." As much as she hated to admit it, Seven realized that she would probably be stuck here in sickbay for a few more days until the Doctor determined that she was well enough to return to her cargobay

Chakotay's mind whirled at warp speed as he tried to think of a solution to Seven's problem. He could see in her eyes the absolute disdain towards the idea of being stuck here in sickbay, not that he blamed her. Nobody enjoyed being stuck here. Now that she was awake, he wanted to do what was best for her while simultaneously making her happy. As of right now, however, there didn't appear to be any solution to the problem. Suddenly, an idea struck him; it was so simple, he had no idea why he didn't think of it sooner.

"You can stay with me," he blurted out almost excitedly at the prospect of getting Seven out of sickbay but keeping her under his watchful eye. "There's plenty of space for you to rest." Seven glared at him. While she was flattered to welcome her into his quarters for an undetermined amount of time, she also knew that his intention was to keep a closer eye on her so she would stay off her feet.

"That hardly seems proper," she pointed out bluntly. "Everyone on _Voyager_ will talk." It didn't matter that they'd had several "sleepovers" already; they'd always been extremely careful to ensure nobody ever saw her coming or going from his quarters. With this plan, however, everyone would know where she was, and they would undoubtedly gossip.

"I hate to break it to you, Seven, but everyone on _Voyager_ is already talking," the Captain stated. Seven's face fell. She never understood the appeal of gossip and tried to avoid it at all costs, which helped remove her from most gossip. This time, however, it seemed unavoidable. "Look, Chakotay is offering you a place to stay that isn't sickbay, and I'm sure the Doctor would be more than happy to allow that." She looked at the Doctor sternly, silently ordering him to go along with it. It might not be ideal, but it was probably the best he was going to get. Seven had a habit of being a difficult patient, and keeping her here could prove to be more stressful.

"Oh, oh yes," he stammered. He wasn't entirely pleased with the proposed arrangement, but at least under Commander Chakotay's watchful eye she might actually rest a little bit. Seven weighed her options carefully. She could either stay confined to sickbay where the Doctor would make her lay around and stare at the wall, refusing to even let her move around on her own, or she could stay in Chakotay's quarters where the entire crew would undoubtedly start gossiping almost immediately, but she would have slightly more freedom. Neither option seemed particularly appealing to her, but they were the only two options she had.

"I'll stay in Commander Chakotay's quarters on the couch," she finally relented in a defeated voice. She added the last part to chase away any thoughts of impropriety that the others might think of. Chakotay opened his mouth to protest that there was no way he was going to let her sleep on the couch, but he quickly decided against it. He could see in her eyes that she wasn't entirely thrilled with this arrangement, and he didn't want to make matters worse by starting a new argument with her. He wanted to look at this as a victory for him. Not only was she awake, but now she was going to be under his care. There was a lot of pressure that went along with this. He would have to do everything in his power to ensure Seven stayed off his feet; he would have his work cut out for him.

"Now that that's been taken care of, I do want to run a few more tests before I let you waltz out of here." Seven looked unamused. She had been under the impression that she would be able to leave right away, not be forced to sit around and be subjected to more of the Doctor's pointless tests. He'd admitted that she was undamaged, so she saw this as a power play to keep her under his watchful eye for just a few more minutes. To argue with him would be pointless, however, as he could change his mind and refuse to release her to Chakotay's care. Her only option was to comply.

"Very well," she relented begrudgingly as she laid back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling with her arms folded across her stomach. As much as she hated to admit it, she actually felt better lying down, causing her to think that perhaps she wasn't as undamaged as she originally thought. That didn't stop her from wanting to get out of here though. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she would be able to get out of here.

Under the watchful and scrutinizing gaze of Kathryn, Chakotay and Aritlin, who had remained silent and carefully hidden in the background during the entire exchange, the Doctor ran a handful of tests on Seven. He wanted to be absolutely certain that she was fine before letting her out that door where he had to trust that Commander Chakotay would keep a careful eye on her. Just as he predicted, there appeared to be no lasting damage to Seven's body, both the human aspects and the Borg implants. She was just exhausted and would need several days to rest before she started feeling close to her normal self.

"I guess I can release you into Commander Chakotay's care," the Doctor finally announced begrudgingly. That was exactly what Seven wanted to hear. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Unfortunately, she sat up too quickly and immediately felt the room start to spin around her. She reached out to stabilize herself, grabbing on to Chakotay's shoulder to keep herself from falling off the bed. He looped his arm around her, essentially holding her upright.

"Maybe you should stay overnight," he suggested softly. As much as it pained him to say it, he thought that it might be best. Clearly she wasn't in the best shape to leave. He had to put his desire to keep her close to the side, putting her needs above his own.

"I am undamaged," she argued. "Just a little dizzy. I've been through worse." She had an excellent point. If anything, a little dizzy spell was nothing compared to the past few weeks. Chakotay looped an arm around her slender waist and helped her to her feet. She kept a tight grip on his arm to prevent her legs from giving out from under her. It had been quite a while since she'd actually stood on her own two feet. Having grown unaccustomed to the weight, her knees trembled under her, threatening to buckle beneath her, which would send her crumbling to the floor. She realized that, unfortunately, she would not be able to return to duty immediately like she intended. She couldn't do her job if she could barely stand up properly. With the help of Chakotay, however Seven was able to stand on her own two feet, at least for the time being. It was then that Seven noticed Aritlin. "Who are you?" she blurted out in confusion.

Caught off guard at being noticed, it took the stranger a few seconds to finally reply, "I'm Aritlin."

"Aritlin helped rescue you," Kathryn explained, jumping in to provide some sort of explanation, although it provided more questions than answers for Seven. She couldn't figure out how this strange alien had anything to do with her rescue. Clearly, there had been much more that she missed than she originally realized. "He's been very worried about you, as have the rest of the crew. Especially Naomi. She's been sending you cards every day." As she spoke, Kathryn motioned towards all the cards that adorned the wall. Seven had been so wrapped up in everything going on that she hadn't noticed the brightly colored cards all over the place. A smile came to her face as she felt flattered by the attention. She should have expected as much from Naomi. She would need to see her soon to assure her that she was fine.

"Well, thank you for your assistance," Seven as she nodded in Aritlin's general direction. Although she felt slightly more confident in her ability to stand on her own two feet, she continued to hold on to Chakotay's arm. There was a certain comfort that came with being this close to him, and she found that she didn't want to let go. He appeared to share the sentiment as he kept his arm looped around her waist. "Doctor, am I free to leave?"

"You are, but I want you on bedrest for the next three days."

"Excuse me?" Seven's implant encrusted eyebrow raised in unamusement and frustration. She had been under the impression that she would return to Chakotay's quarters where she would rest but have the freedom to move around as she desired.

"Bedrest, as in staying off your feet and in bed for the next two days."

"I am familiar with the concept of bedrest, but I hardly think it's necessary."

"Seven, listen to the Doctor's directions," Kathryn requested as gently as possible. The last thing she needed was for Seven to grow defiant, which could result in the Doctor changing his mind and keeping her here where he could keep a more watchful eye on her.

"I am needed in Astrometrics," Seven argued.

"Icheb has been doing great in Astrometrics on his own. You should be proud of him. You're going to take at least three more days off at the very least." She opened her mouth to protest, but the Captain cut her off by saying, "That's an order." She snapped her mouth closed and glared angrily at Kathryn. Three days off was a terribly inefficient use of time. There was no doubt in her mind that Icheb was doing a sufficient job, but she'd only just begun to teach him how to work in the lab. There were still many aspects that he didn't know, meaning many things were being overlooked. The longer she stayed out of Astrometrics, the more work there would be for her when she finally returned to duty.

"Come on, let's get you to my quarters," Chakotay prompted as he rubbed Seven's arm in an attempt to calm her down. The last thing he wanted was for her to work herself up. "Do you think you can walk there?" She nodded as she began to take a few tentative steps. After nearly a week and a half of not using her legs, however, she found they were incredibly weak.

"It may be better to use the transporter," the Doctor suggested. Seven was about to argue, but then she realized that there was no way she would be able to walk across _Voyager_ and travel up three decks in a timely fashion. By the time they got to Chakotay's quarters, it would be the middle of the night. At first, using the transporter seemed absolutely ridiculous to Seven. Upon further thought, however, she realized that using the transporter was probably for the best. If she ventured out into the corridor, she had the feeling that many members of the crew would want to talk to her and inquire about her condition. Additionally, they would all immediately start to gossip about her and Chakotay. For the sake of her privacy, she had to use the transporter.

"I concur," she relented, although her voice gave away her initial displeasure. That was all the permission Kathryn needed to tap into the transporter system from sickbay.

"Ready?" she asked. Chakotay kept his arm around Seven's waist as Kathryn energized the transporter system, causing both of them to disappear in a wave of blue lights, instantly sending the couple to the privacy of Chakotay's quarters.

Perhaps using the transporter wasn't the best idea. Normally, Seven didn't have any problems using the transporter, but today was different. It felt like her insides had been spun all around, and she felt sick to her stomach. As soon as she and Chakotay materialized in his quarters, she grabbed the back of the nearby chair and squeezed her eyes shut while trying to force the sensation to pass. To make matters worse, her knees continued to tremble, threatening to buckle beneath her.

"Are you alright?" Chakotay asked as soon as he realized something was wrong. Already, he was starting to have some doubts. Perhaps he should have insisted she remain in sickbay for further observation.

"I am undamaged," she replied weakly as she forced herself to stand up. "Just a little dizzy." Even though she insisted that she was alright, her wrapped his arms around her and drew her close in a tight hug to assure himself that she was alright. Now that they were alone, he couldn't help himself anymore. He honestly thought he'd have the opportunity to do this again.

"I was so worried about you," he murmured as he buried his face in her hair. Both his hands splayed across her back, holding her flush against his strong chest. At first, the sudden affection caught Seven off guard. Once she was able to relax, she buried her face in his shoulder, inhaling the musky smell that she always associated with him.

"I did not mean to cause you any anxiety." She clutched the front of his shirt. Although she hadn't been the one worried about him, she found an extreme comfort in their close proximity to each other. "I apologize." He pulled away slightly, just enough to look at her properly. Now that she was awake, he doubted he would ever be able to let her go again.

"Don't apologize. None of this was your fault. I'm just relieved that you're fine." His hand rested on the side of her neck, and he ran his thumb across her jaw softly. While Seven was definitely thrilled to be in Chakotay's arms, there was something that was bothering her. He could see it on her face. She looked confused, making it difficult for her to properly enjoy the moment. "What's wrong?" She sighed. She should have figured that he would be able to tell that there was something on her mind. There were no secrets between them, so she might as well just come out and say it.

"What happened? How did we get back to _Voyager_? Who is Aritlin? How exactly did he help me?" The questions spilled out one after another, faster than Chakotay could even start to answer them.

"That's a very long story," he replied. "Maybe that should wait until morning."

"I do not require rest right now. Please, Chakotay, I need to know. I can't remember, and that's terrifying; I remember everything." Chakotay looked down at her. There was no way he could turn her down, not when she looked up at him with those large, beautiful blue eyes of hers. If he had been in her shoes, he would want answers as well. To not remember what had happened had to be absolutely terrifying to her.

"Fine," he sighed. He motioned for her to sit down on the nearby couch. With small, tentative steps, Seven made her way to the couch. She sensed Chakotay hovering behind her, ready to jump in at a moment's notice should she require any assistance. Determined to move on her own, she slowly walked to the couch and lowered herself down. Already, she was starting to feel better, she simply needed to keep walking and moving until her muscles built up their previous strength.

Chakotay settled down on the couch next to Seven and tried to think of where to start. There was so much to say, so much she had missed during her illness. There were parts of it that seemed like a blur to him, and there were aspects he didn't remember at all; Tom and Harry had been kind enough to fill him in. He still had trouble processing Henan and Notaxi's betrayal as well. It was a lot for anyone to process.

"What do you remember?" he asked as he draped his arm along the back of the couch behind her. It seemed like a logical place to start. Once he knew what she remembered, he would be able to figure out what she needed to know. Seven stopped to think.

"I remember a humanoid alien with dark red skin and a ridge along its forehead…" She trailed off. "Species number…" The species designation was right on the tip of her tongue, but no matter how hard she tried to hold on to it, it slipped through her mental fingers and fled her mind. She sighed. "I don't remember," she confessed. "And I remember being carried somewhere, and, and I think that's it. Everything else is fragmented, dreamlike, I can't be sure what it is."

"You probably remember Henan and Notaxi. They helped us, or so we thought. And you probably remember being carried out of the caves to safety." Now that he knew what Seven remembered, Chakotay was able to launch into the tale of what had happened down on that awful planet, how they got off it and how Aritlin fit into the equation.

When Kathryn entered her quarters, the First Officers were all waiting anxiously to hear if Seven was alright. The food and drinks were temporarily abandoned, as their main concern shifted from having a good time to the condition of their friend. In a way, it was perfect that they were all here, or else she would have had to have spent the next few hours going to each of their quarters to inform them in person that Seven was finally awake.

"How is she?" Harry blurted out the second Kathryn entered her quarters. The young ensign sat on the edge of his seat, eager to hear that everything was going to be alright. A thousand scenarios ran through his head, each worse than the next. The Captain's face was calm, nearly impossible for anyone to read.

"Ensign Kim, give the Captain a chance to sit down," Tuvok scolded. Kathryn nodded at him in thanks as she took her old seat on the couch with a sigh. At first, she was surprised that everyone waited for her to return, but when she thought about it, it really wasn't at all surprising; everyone was worried sick about Seven and wanted to know how she was doing. Had she been in their shoes, she would have done exactly the same thing.

"Seven's fine," she finally replied. "She's already arguing with the Doctor and Chakotay and wants to go back to Astrometrics." Kathryn cracked a small smile when she thought about all the arguing that had gone on in sickbay. If anything, it showed her that her young protege was perfectly fine, despite everything that had happened to her.

"So she's back to normal?" B'Elanna asked. Her concern for Seven caught everyone by surprise. The two of them might not get along, but B'Elanna wasn't completely cold hearted. She'd been concerned about her, although she didn't really show it. The Captain shook her head.

"I wouldn't go that far. She's incredibly weak and probably won't be able to return to duty for a while." Seven had done her best to hide her weak condition, but everyone in sickbay could easily see that she was still unwell.

"Oh I'm sure that's going over well with her," Tom commented sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"But there's nothing wrong with her, right?" Harry pressed. He'd been worried sick about Seven; seeing her slowly deteriorate during the away mission had been absolutely terrifying to him. He'd experienced countless close calls over the years, but nothing had been as terrifying as sitting by helplessly as a fellow crewman and close friend slowly slipped away.

"Nothing that the Doctor could tell," Kathryn assured. "She's been released to Chakotay's care."

"Well it didn't take long for that to happen," Tom joked.

"Yeah, they moved in faster than you and B'Elanna did," Harry teased, shooting his best friend a playful glance. Tom rolled his eyes, and B'Elanna glared angrily at him from her seat. In all actuality, they'd been living together informally for quite some time, bouncing between both of their quarters before making it official and moving in together.

"I hardly think that the arrangement will be permanent," Tuvok interjected. He knew Seven well enough to know that she would avoid all impropriety for as long as possible.

"You think that now, but just you wait," Tom argued. In all honesty, he was shocked that Seven agreed to stay in Chakotay's quarters. She was always so concerned with keep up appearance, and moving in with the First Officer, even temporarily, went against all of that. Despite that surprise, he knew that there was very little chance Seven would move back to her cargobay once again. Once she and Chakotay got a taste of what it was like to live together, it would be difficult for them to them to go back to how things used to be. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, he felt that this was a huge step in their relationship.

All the information Chakotay threw at Seven gave her a headache. She did her best to hide her discomfort, but he could see her eye twitch and instantly knew that something was wrong. As he finished filling her in, he brushed her hair behind her ear. Perhaps he should have insisted on waiting until morning to delve into what had happened, no matter how much she begged and pleaded for answers. It was his job to properly look after her.

"I don't remember any of that," she confessed softly, staring at her lap and shaking her head in disbelief. So much had happened to her, so much that she had missed. It was highly distressing to know that there was a huge chunk of time that she had no recollection of, and she'd probably never remember any of that.

"I'm not surprised, you were incredibly sick." He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "You were delusional, having these horrible dreams." In an attempt to remember something, even those terrible dreams, Seven furrowed her brow in concentration, but nothing came back to her, and her headache only got worse. "It was awful seeing you suffer like that." Chakotay's voice cracked with emotion. "I wanted to take away all your suffering, but there was nothing I could do." She instinctively put her hand on his thigh and gave it a comforting squeeze, wishing there was something more she could do to comfort him and show him that he'd done everything that could be expected.

"You did your job as First Officer and got the entire away team back to _Voyager_ safely," she pointed out bluntly. "You should not have let your emotions towards me cloud your judgement and influence your decision making." He sighed. She was right, of course, but it was nearly impossible for him to keep his emotions in check.

"You're right, but that's easier said than done when I care about you so much." Unable to resist, he leaned forward and stole a quick kiss. After nearly two weeks, he simply couldn't stop himself. The second their lips met, everything felt wonderful and perfect once again. She unconsciously slid her hand along the inside of his thigh. It was a brief but powerful kiss that reminded both of them how much they cared for each other. "I never thought I'd be able to do that again," he confessed softly as he pulled away. Confusion flashed across Seven's face.

"Explain."

"I thought I was going to lose you forever, and so did you. We had a whole conversation, and you thought it was the end. I wasn't about to give up on you though."

"I did not mean to cause you any anxiety."

"Part of caring about someone is worrying sick when something's wrong with them. If anything, it shows just how much I care about you." Her hand rested on his hollow cheek.

"But you haven't been caring about yourself," she pointed out bluntly. Since the first time she laid eyes on Chakotay in sickbay, she could tell that something was wrong. What distressed her the most was the fact that the Doctor seemed to ignore it, focusing all his attention instead on her when clearly Chakotay required medical assistance as well. "You have bags under your eyes, and it looks like you haven't eaten in several days." He should have expected this from her. She was never one to beat around the bush, and he knew from the quick glances he stole in the mirror and strange looks he got in the corridor, he looked like quite a sight.

"I'm fine, Seven," he insisted.

"You are not. I know you and can see that you are in poor health." He sighed. He should have known that he couldn't keep anything from her. "Are you eating?"

"I ate something at Captain's quarters before I was called to sickbay." It wasn't a lie, he had eaten something in Kathryn's quarters, but he left out the fact that that was probably the most food he'd eaten in one sitting since that first night on the away mission. As a result, he'd dropped several kilos between then and now. She pursed her lips in frustration. If he was going to look after her, then he was going to return the favor.

"And are you sleeping?"

"I've been too worried about you to sleep."

"You took care of me, and now it's my turn to take care of you," Seven announced as she started to stand up. In a flash, Chakotay was on his feet and grabbed a hold of her shoulders. He knew he was in for a long few days, trying to get her to rest properly.

"Whoa, you're not going anywhere," he scolded. "You heard the Doctor, you're on bedrest. I'll get myself something to eat while you sit here and rest." She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued, "I can make that an order if you want." She snapped her mouth shut and sat back down with a huff. She wasn't an invalid and was perfectly capable of getting something from the replicator. Her understanding of bed rest was that she could move around a little while; how else was she expected to build up all the strength she'd lost in recent weeks?

After a few minutes, Chakotay returned to Seven with a plate in one hand and a glass in the other. She recognized the glass as containing one of her nutritional supplements and therefore wasn't surprised when he handed it over to her. It was to be her first real meal in weeks, something more than that fruit she and Tom survived on while trapped in the cave.

"I do not require a nutritional supplement right now," she argued. When she initially woke up in sickbay, she'd been hooked up to an IV, which provided her with all the food and nutrients necessary to keep her healthy. In an ironic twist, she'd probably gotten more food since she got back to _Voyager_ than Chakotay.

"Humor me," he requested as he sat on the couch and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "If you're going to force me to eat a sandwich, then I'm going to force you to drink one of those." She took a tentative sip of the concoction. The thick liquid slid down her throat and settled heavily in her stomach. Despite the discomfort, she continued to take small sips. Sensing his gaze on her, she looked at Chakotay.

"You need to eat your sandwich," she scolded. He'd been busted. With a sheepish expression, he took a bite of his sandwich. Once he took a bite, he realized just how hungry he was and quickly took another bite. Within moments, his sandwich was gone. With a surprised expression, Seven drained the last of her nutritional supplement.

"I guess I was hungry," Chakotay commented as he put his dirty plate on the coffee table. She followed his lead and put her glass next to his plate. He sat back with his arm draped along the back of the couch. She settled against him and slid her arm around his waist. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and stroked her shoulder with his thumb. Their bodies melded together perfectly as they enjoyed each other's company as if nothing had gone wrong.

Kathryn hadn't intended for her Senior Officers to stay as late as they had, but she didn't mind. It had been a wonderful social gathering that was made even better by the fact that Seven appeared to be relatively fine in spite of what had happened to her. Finally, her crew was starting to get back to normal after a very stressful away mission, which meant she could relax as well. It was exactly what she needed, a little bit of relaxation. With any luck, she'd be able to go to bed relatively early tonight, without being plagued by unsettling dreams.

As she walked down the corridor between Tom and Harry, B'Elanna slipped her arm through her husband's. He looked down at her with an adoring smile on his face. Miral was fast asleep in her mother's arms. With any luck, she would stay asleep for a few more hours, giving her parents the break they so desperately needed.

"I can't believe Seven moved in with Chakotay," Harry commented. As he walked alongside his friends. Since the corridor was basically empty, none of them were particularly worried about the fact that they basically blocked the way for everyone else.

"It's just temporary," B'Elanna pointed out. "I doubt she'll stay there permanently, it's far too unprofessional for her to be staying in the First Officer's quarters." It was hard to predict what rules and regulations Seven followed. Just like the Captain, sometimes she threw all the rules out the airlock in the interest of what suited her, and other times she followed all the rules to the letter. It was impossible to predict what she would do.

"I don't know, they may find that they like the arrangement," Tom remarked. He never thought he'd like living with B'Elanna, he always liked his space, but once he got a taste of cohabitation, he couldn't imagine ever going back to living alone.

"I agree with B'Elanna," Harry argued. "Seven's way too professional and independent. As soon as she's able to, she'll be back in her cargobay."

"Are you willing to put your replicator rations where you mouth is?" Tom challenged. B'Elanna's gaze immediately hardened. If there was one thing that drove her crazy, it was Tom's petulence for gambling, especially with Harry. By now, you'd think that the young Ensign would have learned that it was tantamount to suicide to bet against Tom; he never made a bet unless he knew he was going to win.

"Tom," she scolded.

"Oh come on, babe, it's just a little wager. One week's worth of replicator rations says that Seven will move into Chakotay's quarters permanently." Harry carefully thought over the suggestion.

"Okay, and I say that by the time the Commander's birthday comes around in a week and a half, Seven will be back in her cargobay." The trio stopped walking in the middle of the corridor, and Tom thrust out his hand towards his best friend.

"You're on." They shook hands to seal the deal despite B'Elanna's disapproving gaze. As much as she hated Tom's gambling, she had to admit that it was a relatively harmless pastime. If he wanted to lose all his replicator rations and subject himself to a week's worth of Chell's cooking, then that was fine with her, he would have to suffer through the consequences of his stupidity, and she wouldn't give him any of her carefully saved rations.

Drawing in a deep breath, Chakotay shifted and went to stand up but immediately stopped when he felt a weight draped against him. With confusion written across his face, he looked around. He was propped up on the couch with his arm around snaked around Seven, who was fast asleep as well. He looked at the clock on the wall, which told him it was nearly midnight. Already, his back and neck were protesting from his current sleeping position; there was no way he could spend the rest of the night sleeping like this on the couch. He didn't want to wake her, she looked so peaceful, but she would have to move so he could get up.

"Seven," he whispered as he shook her shoulder gently. She didn't move. His heart skipped a beat as he began to worry that something was wrong. As much as he hated it, he instinctively pressed two fingers to the side of her neck, relaxing only when he felt the distinct thump of her pulse against his touch. "Seven," he repeated louder. A wave of relief washed over him as she began to stir. Her eyes opened, and she looked around with the same confused expression he just had a few moments ago.

"Is something wrong?" she asked sleepily.

"No, everything's fine. I want to move to the bed though."

"The couch is sufficient for me."

"Like hell it is. If you don't want to share a bed with me, then I'll be the one to sleep on the couch." Seven's grabbed a hold of the front of Chakotay's shirt. Just a few moments ago, she hadn't wanted to share a bed with him, as it would be highly improper even though they'd done it in the past, but the thought of sleeping alone in his large bed quickly chased away those thoughts. Like him, she wanted to be close to him.

"I don't want you to sleep on the couch." A small, victorious smile tugged at the corner of Chakotay's lips. Although he'd done it dozens of times of the years, the last place he wanted to sleep was the couch, but he would have if that was what Seven wanted. Right now, his life revolved around what she wanted until she was back on her

"Okay, it's settled then." He stood up and helped Seven to her feet as well.

"I am perfectly capable of walking on my own," she snapped. Despite her protests, he kept a supportive hand hovering right behind her, ready at a moment's notice to support her if necessary. The Doctor had charged him with her care, and he was going to do that to the best of his ability.

As Seven made her way to Chakotay's bedroom, she had a chance to really take in the condition of his quarters. Dirty dishes were scattered across the tables, telling her that he had at least attempted to eat something over the past week. Clothes littered the floor, left exactly where they were shed, usually in a trail to the bathroom. This was hardly the state she last saw his quarters, or ever saw his quarters for that matter. Usually, his quarters were pristine with everything in their designated spot, waiting for Chakotay to grab them without a second thought. It was one of the things she loved about him, he was always so organized and tidy. He argued that as First Officer, people were always stopping by his quarters, so he had to keep everything neat, ready for any unexpected visitors.

Chakotay could see Seven looking around as they walked to the bedroom, and he immediately felt self-conscious. If anything, the condition of his quarters was a sign of how distracted and out of sorts he'd been lately. He hadn't even realized how bad his quarters were until just now; in his mind, there had been far more important things to take care of, namely her. Suddenly, he understood the unusual look on Kathryn's face when she stopped by earlier, she was equally surprised by the state of his quarters. He should have cleaned up a little bit, not that he had expected company.

In the bedroom, Seven's attention was immediately drawn to a shirt carelessly tossed on the floor. With surprising speed for someone who was still so weak, she crossed the room and snatched up the article of clothing. A closer examination confirmed what she already thought: it was covered with blood.

"You were damaged," she stated as she turned around to confront Chakotay. He'd neglected to inform her that something had happened to him, and she found it as a betrayal on his part.

"It was just a broken nose," he admitted sheepishly as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Usually he was the one doing the scolding when it came to members of the crew, not the other way around. She raised her eyebrow and looked unamused.

"Explain." He felt like a small child being reprimanded by his mother, not a man who was caught by his girlfriend with a small injury.

"I was boxing on the holodeck. It's a common injury." She never understood his interest in boxing. After her experience with Tsunkatse, she especially found the needless violence in the name of entertainment especially barbaric, no matter how much he insisted that boxing was always between two consenting adults.

"Not when you turn on the safeties."

"You sound like B'Elanna," Chakotay complained as he disappeared into his closet and returned with two sets of pajamas, one for him and one for her. "You probably want to get out of that," he commented as he nodded towards the thin hospital gown she still wore from her time in sickbay. His attempt to change the subject worked as she forgot about the bloody clothes.

"Thank you." She took one of the sets of pajamas and disappeared into the bathroom to change in privacy. Although she knew she had nothing to hide with Chakotay, he'd already seen her naked, she still wanted a little bit of privacy to clean herself up.

In the bathroom, Seven got a good look at herself in the mirror and was absolutely horrified by what she saw. Her cornsilk hair stuck up all over the place in matted knots. Her usually fair skin was even paler than usual, stretched across her hollow cheeks, giving her a haggard and almost scary appearance. When she pulled off the hospital gown, she was even more surprised by her reflection. In the mirror, she could easily see every single one of her ribs, poking out beneath her almost sallow skin. Her hips jutted out sharply as she ran her fingers along the length of her torso. She was glad she had decided to change in the bathroom, she didn't want Chakotay to see this, it would only cause him to worry even more, which was the last thing she wanted. In an attempt to tame her wild hair, she pulled the sink out of the wall and carefully scooped several handfuls of water onto her head and raked her fingers through the tangles in a crude attempt to get rid of the knots. The water helped a little bit, but her hair was still a mess. She would have to try and fix it tomorrow.

Alone for a few moments, Chakotay scrambled to snatch up some of the dirty clothes that littered his bedroom floor. With the clothes gathered up in his arms, he dumped them unceremoniously on his closet floor and slid the door closed behind him with the mental note to actually put them away in the morning. While his bedroom wasn't as neat and clean as he normally kept it, it was slightly better than before. At least now his bedroom looked slightly more inhabitable, not like a dumping ground for dirty clothes. Tomorrow he would take care of the rest of his quarters, returning them to their previous state.

When Seven emerged from the bathroom, the first thing Chakotay noticed was the fact that her hair was dripping wet, quickly followed by the fact that his clothes nearly fell off her delicate frame. She practically swam in the baggy pair of black sweatpants and oversized grey undershirt. When paired with her sickly pallor and dripping wet hair, she looked even worse than she previously did.

"Did you get in a fight with the sink?" he teased with a small laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood for both of them.

"I attempted to fix my hair to look more presentable. Unfortunately, I believe I made it worse as I don't have my hairbrush here."

"I have a brush. You sit down." He motioned towards the bed, indicating that she should make herself comfortable. Before she could protest, he disappeared in the bathroom. He was a man on a mission, determined to do whatever was necessary to ensure her comfort.

Following Chakotay's directions, Seven sat on the edge of the bed. Her wet hair dripped down her back, sending cool rivulets crawling across her skin. Brush in hand, Chakotay reappeared. She reached out to take the hairbrush, but he kept it out of her grip and instead sat down behind her.

"I am perfectly capable of brushing my own hair," she argued.

"And yet, I'm going to be the one who brushes your hair." It wasn't that he thought brushing her hair was too much for Seven, he simply wanted to do as much as possible to dote on her. As gently as possible, he sectioned her hair off into smaller chunks and ran his brush through the wet strands with expert fingers. Unfortunately, her usually silky smooth locks that he loved so much were a knotted mess. Her attempts to tame her hair in the bathroom had done very little to help the situation. At first, Seven sat stiffly in front of Chakotay, refusing to enjoy being tended to like this. After a few minutes, however, she felt herself starting to relax. Sudden memories washed over her of being a little girl back on _The Raven_ as her mother gently brushed and braided her hair as she sat on her lap. It all felt so real, as if it were happening to her in that instant. Her breath hitched in her throat as she attempted to suppress her emotions, but since he was sitting right behind her, Chakotay instantly sensed that something was wrong. "What is it?" he asked as he put the brush to the side. Everything had been going fine, he had no idea why she was suddenly acting like this. When he gently turned her around, he could see a few tears in her eyes. "What's wrong _muñeca_?" He'd been trying not to pull her hair, but it was inevitable given the fact that it had been weeks since she'd brushed it.

"Nothing," she snapped. He attempted to wipe away her tears with the pad of his thumb, but she brushed off his touch. "You need to sleep, you have to report for duty early in the morning."

"Seven," he sighed. He could see that there was something bothering her, and he wanted to know what it was.

"Goodnight, Chakotay." Her tone was final as she crawled across the bed and slid under the covers with her back to him, leaving him seated on the edge of the bed with a confused look on his face. He had no idea what had just happened. One minute, they were sharing what he thought was an intimate moment, the next she was giving him the cold shoulder. He wanted to press the matter, but he ultimately decided against it. He had been waiting for nearly two weeks to be reunited with Seven, and he wasn't about to ruin it by arguing with her. Instead, he put the hairbrush back in its spot in the bathroom and crawled into bed next to her. Despite the fact that he sensed that she was displeased with him, he slid his arm around her waist and cuddled up against her. After everything they'd been through, he needed to feel her close. Thankfully, Seven didn't seem to mind. In fact, she noticeably relaxed against him and slid her hand into his, holding on tightly as sleep eventually claimed both of them.

 **Author's Note:** Let me know what you think be leaving me a review.


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note:** Just a head's up, this chapter is pretty long. I tried to find a place to break it up, but I simply couldn't find a good place to do that. Enjoy and leave a review!

 **Chapter Twenty-Six**

Chakotay's eyes fluttered open. He looked at the clock perched next to his bed. He had to get up in two minutes. Rather than let his alarm go off and risk waking Seven, he turned the device off. It felt strange having to think about the welfare of the person sharing his bed, but it was something he felt he could grow accustomed to. Once the alarm was turned off, he rolled over to face Seven and propped himself up on one elbow. She looked so peaceful. Most signs of her ordeal seemed gone; it was as if it never happened in the first place. Her left arm was draped across her stomach while her right hand was curled up in a fist next to her head as she laid on her back. Her golden hair fanned out around her head, forming a makeshift pillow. Despite the fact that her hair was still a knotted mess, she looked absolutely angelic. Unable to resist, Chakotay stole a quick kiss from the corner of her slightly parted lips. Drawing in a deep breath, her eyes slowly opened, revealing that light blue that was quickly becoming his favorite color. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips when she saw his face right next to hers. Like him, she felt that she could eventually grow accustomed to being greeted by his smiling face every morning, all thoughts of impropriety temporarily banished from her mind.

"Good morning," he murmured. His dark eyes sparkled with admiration, making her feel slightly uncomfortable, as if she'd done something special, which she hadn't.

"Good morning," she echoed as her hand came to rest on his cheek, stroking it softly with her thumb.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Do not apologize. I rather enjoy waking up like that." He leaned in for another kiss, which she gladly returned. "How did you sleep?" Chakotay stopped to think. How did he sleep? While he did wake up several times throughout the night to check on Seven, it was probably the best night sleep he'd gotten since leaving on the away mission two weeks ago.

"Wonderful," he replied. "Especially now that I know you're alright." Her hand drifted down to rest on his chest where she could feel his heart beating against her touch. Even through his shirt, she could feel the warmth radiating from him. She smiled.

"I am relieved to hear that." Her stomach growled, instantly shattering the tender moment the couple shared. "I apologize." An embarrassed blush crept across her alabaster cheeks, which only made her more appealing to him, if that was even possible.

"Don't apologize," Chakotay insisted with a small laugh. "I'll make you something to eat."

"Allow me to assist you." Seven attempted to climb out of bed behind him, but he instantly spun around and gently pushed her back to a laying position. All the playfulness was gone from his eyes. There was no way he'd let her do much of anything while she was under his care.

"You wait here. I'll be right back."

"Chakotay-" He leaned across the bed and kissed her softly, preventing her from arguing with him further.

"Just relax, Seven," he murmured before standing up and disappearing out of sight through the bedroom door. His tone might have been soft, but it was also incredibly forceful; an order veiled as an act of kindness.

Scowling, Seven fell back against the pillows. While she knew the Doctor had insisted she stay on bedrest, she was perfectly capable of getting out of bed to eat breakfast. Sitting at the kitchen table and eating breakfast was hardly a difficult task, and she would technically still be resting, just not in bed. There was no need for her to sit here like an invalid. In her research, she had heard of breakfast in bed, but she never understood the purpose. Beds were made for sleeping, not eating, not that she had a bed in the first place. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she didn't have a bed that she didn't understand the whole purpose. If that's what Chakotay wanted to do to make himself feel better, then she would begrudgingly comply and make it up to him later.

With a victorious smile plastered on his face, Chakotay returned to the bedroom with a tray in his hands. Very carefully, he laid it across Seven's lap as she sat up with the pillows behind her to support her against the small headboard. He had gone above and beyond with his breakfast in bed, which only made her feel more uncomfortable about this whole thing.

"This is unnecessary," she tried to insist as she looked at the spread in front of her. There was a small stack of pancakes, a bowl of fresh fruit and a glass of orange juice. A beautiful rose rested along the top of the tray, giving it a small, romantic touch. Her fingers brushed across the silky petals softly. It might have been something small, but it meant a lot to her.

"And yet, I've done it, so you might as well enjoy it." Chakotay sat on the bed next to her to make sure she ate every last bite. Already incredibly skinny, she'd lost a significant amount of weight the past few weeks, and he was determined to help her gain back that weight as quickly as possible.

"What about you? What will you eat?" She noticed that there was no sign of any sort of breakfast for him, which didn't sit well with her; she didn't want him to put her needs above his own.

"I usually have coffee in the Captain's ready room before starting my shift." Seven knew that, everyone knew that in fact. Chakotay was a creature of habit, which included having his morning coffee with the Captain every morning, a quick lunch in the mess hall where he socialized with whoever happened to be there, and dinner whenever it fit in with his schedule; every member of the crew knew that, which meant they could easily find him at designated times if necessary.

"That is an insufficient breakfast. I do not require all this food, you can have some." To her point, she nudged the bowl of fruit in his direction. This was way more food than she could ever eat in one sitting, even if she had her normal appetite back.

"Seven, I replicated this food for you."

"And I desire to share it with you. I promise I will eat the majority of the food, but I want to share some of it with you." Chakotay sighed, mentally debating if it was worth getting into an argument over something as trivial as food. He was a little hungry, and she was only trying to take care of him, just like he was doing to her.

"Fine," he relented as he plucked up a piece of watermelon and popped it in his mouth. Feeling victorious, Seven cut into the stack of pancakes and took a bite. Almost immediately, her eyes lit up with excitement as she tasted something she wasn't expecting mixed in with the food.

"These pancakes contain strawberries!" she exclaimed in delight, causing him to chuckle as she went for another bite. All her arguments about this being too elaborate or too much food were quickly forgotten as she devoured the pancakes hungrily. Adding the strawberries was the perfect way to ensure she actually ate; in a way, it was a cruel trick, but he wanted to make sure she ate everything.

"You know, I can stay here with you today," he suggested as he settled back against the headboard, draping his arm along it in the process. The suggestion caused Seven's expression to immediately harden.

"Absolutely not," she snapped. There was absolutely no reason for him to stay in his quarters for the day, although there was no doubt in her mind that the Captain would give him the time off if he asked. The crew needed him, and she was more than capable of taking care of herself. "Do you not trust me?" Chakotay's heart momentarily sank when he realized the implication of his offer, which hadn't been his intention at all.

"Of course not," he quickly insisted in an attempt to redeem himself. "I trust you completely, I just want to be close in case something happens. You're still weak, and if something were to happen to you…" He trailed off. He'd already suffered through so much with everything that had happened, and he wasn't sure how much more he could take. She took his face in her hands and rested her forehead against his. All thoughts of food were quickly forgotten.

"I will be fine for the day," she assured. "If I need anything, I will summon you or the Doctor immediately. I promise that I'll stay in bed and rest, no matter how pointless I think it is." He put his hand over hers and turned his head, brushing his lips against the smooth skin of her palm punctuated by the metal band of her implant.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I'll come by during the day to check on you" She released her grip on him. She really wished he would trust her.

"That is unnecessary."

As he climbed out of bed, Chakotay said, "Doesn't matter, it's what's happening." He turned to face her. "It'll give me some peace of mind." If she wasn't going to let him stay home all day, the least she could do was accept the fact that he would stop by once or twice to check on her. It wouldn't be anything terrible, nothing to make her feel smothered. She could see in his eyes that this was something he needed to do for himself, not for her. She wouldn't argue with him, she wanted to do whatever she could to make his life easier.

With the issue of reporting for duty settled, Chakotay disappeared into the closet to get dressed. On his way, he kicked the dirty clothes he'd thrown in there out of the way. When he got back today, he would take care of cleaning up the rest of his quarters; at least for now the bedroom looked somewhat decent. With the plan forming in his head to straighten up when he returned, Chakotay pulled on his uniform and emerged from the closet. He glanced at Seven as he headed to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth, ran the hairbrush from last night through his hair and looked himself over in the mirror. He probably looked the most presentable he'd looked in two weeks.

Seven's breakfast was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Out of instinct, she made a move to put her tray to the side, but Chakotay was already out of the bathroom and on his way to answer the door. Pursing her lips in frustrating, she sat back and took another bite of pancakes, although now they didn't taste quite as good. As improper as it may have been, she was fully capable of answering the door on her own. What was she supposed to do if someone came by while he was gone for the day? She figured she could just tell whoever stopped by to come in, but that felt rude and impersonal. No, while Chakotay was gone, she would have to get up sometimes, it was impossible for her to stay in bed all day, whether he wanted her to or not.

Since she was in Chakotay's quarters, she figured it was a crewman searching for him, so she was surprised to hear him exclaim, "Icheb!" Her ears immediately perked up, and she abandoned the tray of food as she scrambled out of bed. Being on bedrest was suddenly irrelevant to her, she had far more important things to take care of. "Icheb, Seven's resting," Chakotay insisted in a firm voice, although his argument was rendered pointless when he saw Seven emerge from the bedroom. He stood in front of Icheb, doing his best to block him from getting past the entryway to the quarters, but the determined look on the teenager's face spoke volumes; there was no way he was going to take no for an answer.

"I am right here and perfectly capable of visiting with Icheb," she stated. A combination of relief and frustration flashed across Icheb's face. Although he was thrilled to see that Seven was fine, he still looked less than pleased. The tension in the room was smothering, and nearly all of it came from Icheb as he glared angrily at Chakotay, silently blaming him for something he couldn't quite figure out.

"Seven, I have to go." The First Officer was actually glad he had to leave, as he sensed that he wasn't welcome here even though he was in his own quarters. It was probably for the best that he leave them alone to talk things out. "I'll stop by around 1100 hours."

"Very well." She gave him a curt nod before he left, leaving her alone with Icheb. She saw the firm look he gave her, silently telling her to make sure she rested. She would, after she talked to Icheb.

With a scrutinizing gaze, Icheb took in his surroundings. He looked past the dirty clothes and dishes all over the place and instead focused on the fact that there was no denying the fact that Seven was wearing a pair of Commander Chakotay's pajamas. To add insult to injury, he noticed the breakfast tray on the bed and the fact that it looked like both sides of the bed had been occupied overnight, which only caused his frustration to grow.

"When were you planning on telling me you were awake?" Icheb demanded the second they were alone. Seven crossed her arms over her chest and raised her implant encrusted eyebrow with displeasure. If there was one thing she always emphasized with him, it was respect for his superiors, which included herself. There was no reason for him to talk to her like that.

"Excuse me?"

"I went by sickbay on my way to Astrometrics this morning, and you weren't there. The Doctor had to tell me that you regained consciousness and were released last night. I have been worried sick about you for the past week, and this is how you repay me?" He sounded like a small child, immature and frustrated that he didn't get things the way he wanted them.

"It was not my intention to cause you any aggravation. I was released from sickbay late last night and came right to Commander Chakotay's quarters."

"Why didn't you come back to the cargobay?" The teenager sounded incredulous at the betrayal, but Seven couldn't figure out why. If anything, he should be relieved that she was up and on her feet, everyone else seemed to be.

"The Doctor would not release me back to cargobay. My choices were either remain in sickbay or be released to Commander Chakotay's quarters." While it was a perfectly logical explanation, she could tell that he still wasn't satisfied with her answer. His gaze was still ice cold.

"Why Commander Chakotay's quarters? You're in a relationship with you, aren't you?" She opened and closed her mouth several times as she attempted to think of an explanation; she was under the impression that everyone knew about their relationship at this point, but apparently Icheb was still in the dark. This wasn't how she wanted him to find out, or anyone to find out for that matter. He didn't need a verbal answer, he had all the information he needed right in front of him. Anyone with eyes could see what was going on between Seven and Chakotay; it was in the unmade bed, the fact that she wore his clothes and the subtle looks they'd exchanged that went far beyond the usual looks between two members of the crew. He may be young and sheltered, but he wasn't that naive.

"That is hardly your business," Seven snapped haughtily as she attempted to walk away, but Icheb cut her off, materializing in front of her without warning. "Stand aside," she ordered as she glared at him. While Seven could be stubborn, so could Icheb, and he refused to back off now; he'd come here for answers, and that's exactly what he wanted. "Comply."

"No," he said defiantly, squaring his shoulders and matching her fiery gaze. "You've always encouraged me to be open with you, that there are no secrets, as it is important to our relationship and to adjusting to being a human. I always took you seriously and told you everything, no matter what it was. I was foolish to think that you returned the favor."

"What would you like to know?" If she had to answer a few questions from Icheb in order to regain his trust, then she would. Seven knew she had made a mistake in not telling him that she was awake; she had been so wrapped up in everything going on yesterday that he didn't even cross her mind. Everything had happened so fast last night, she barely had time to process everything as it happened, and her main focus was getting out of sickbay no matter what. Had she been in his shoes, she would be reacting the exact same way.

"Are you have a sexual relationship with Commander Chakotay?" Seven's eyes nearly doubled in size. Of all the questions Icheb could ask, that was the last one she expected. Normally talk about intimate relationships made him uncomfortable, but not this time apparently.

"I refuse to answer that question," she snapped as she pushed past him, heading him in the direction of the bedroom in the hopes that he would leave. She'd only been out of bed for a little while, and she was already starting to feel tired. She refused to let Icheb see that though.

"You said that you would answer my questions," Icheb argued as he trailed after her, completely ignoring the fact that he was entering the personal bedroom of one of his commanding officers. He wasn't about to let her off the hook that easily. "Seven, are you going to answer my question?" She spun around and glared at him. This was too much for her to handle; she needed to rest.

"You are a _child_ , I do not have to tell you anything. My life is my personal business, especially information like that." By not answering Icheb's question, she essentially gave him all the information he needed. He knew she was having an intimate relationship with the Commander, all the evidence was in front of him. Now, everything made sense. For the past few weeks, she'd been sneaking away for hours at a time or even overnight. Whenever she returned, she gave some sort of pathetic explanation as to where she had been. He never really believed her, but he didn't know where she could be, so he didn't really press the issue. Had he done so, perhaps this wouldn't be such a shock to him. All the pieces to the puzzle had been there, he just hadn't put them together until now.

"Fine, then I have nothing else to say to you." Still seething, Icheb turned on his heels and stalked out of Chakotay's quarters. He had come here to check on Seven, not get in a screaming match with her. While they'd had their spats in the past, there had never been something like this, and both of them felt drained, both physically and emotionally.

Without bothering to ring the doorbell, Chakotay entered Kathryn's ready room. His sudden appearance clearly caught her off guard, as she only had one cup of coffee out and was seated behind her desk, not on her couch waiting for him like she usually was in the morning. Clearly she wasn't expecting him. When he entered her ready room, she froze, her cup hovering halfway to her lips.

"Chakotay," she exclaimed in surprise as she got to her feet and temporarily abandoned her coffee. "I half-expected you to take the day, or at least come in late."

"I tried, believe me," Chakotay commented bitterly as he retrieved his coffee mug from its designated spot and filled it, making himself comfortable like he usually did. "Seven refused to let me stay."

"Seven refused?" Kathryn parroted as she raised her eyebrow in amusement and smirked. She could only imagine that conversation.

"I told her that I could stay in my quarters with her today, and she insisted that she would be fine and would call me or the Doctor if something was wrong. I told her that I would stop by around lunchtime to check on her."

"So you compromised?" Chakotay shrugged as he sat down across from Kathryn and took a sip of his coffee. "If you want, you can go back to your quarters and say that I refused to let you report for duty today." He had to admit that the offer certainly was tempting, but he doubted Seven would fall for it. She was incredibly perceptive, and he didn't want to get in a fight with her, not when she'd only been awake for a few hours. She needed her rest, and she might be more inclined to do so without him hovering over her like he knew he would if he was sent back to his quarters.

"Icheb stopped by as I was leaving, and I got the feeling that he isn't exactly happy with either of us right now," he confessed as he shifted the conversation away from himself. In a way, reporting to duty was a blessing in disguise.

"Seven's condition has been particularly hard on Icheb. He idealizes Seven, and seeing her in sickbay like that was difficult on him. You were so wrapped up in how she was doing that you didn't even notice." All of a sudden, guilt washed over Chakotay. As much as he hated to admit it, Kathryn was right. He'd been incredibly selfish and only focused on his emotions towards Seven that not once he thought about how it might be affecting others, especially Icheb.

"I should have done my job and checked on him."

"That's not your job, it's mine," Kathryn assured. "And I made sure to check on him several times. He was as fine as can be expected. Hopefully now that she's up and about, things will go back to normal for everyone."

"He didn't look fine to me." Chakotay took a sip of his coffee. "He looked angry. I was so focused on taking care of Seven last night that neither of us took the time to tell him that she was alright and in my quarters." She reached across her desk and squeezed his arm.

"You made a mistake, and I'm sure Seven's taking care of it right now." Chakotay hoped that she was right, although it was hard to tell with Icheb. Sometimes, he was incredibly mature, far past his young years. Other times, he was immature, rash and quick to anger, just like any other teenager. It was hard to tell how he would react to Seven being back on her feet. Hopefully, he'd be so relieved that she's alright that all his frustration would go flying out of the airlock.

Shortly after 1100 hours, Chakotay returned to his quarters, just like he promised. He fully expected everything to be exactly where he left it, which was why he was surprised to see all the dirty clothes and dishes put away. Seven lounged on one of the chaise chairs he rarely used with a book in her hand as she tried to look as innocent as possible, although there was only one person who could have cleaned up.

"I thought you were supposed to be on bedrest," he commented bluntly as he pulled up a chair and sat next to her.

"My research on bedrest tells me that it does not mean a person is confined to just the bed, as long as I am off my feet and resting, I am complying with the Doctor's orders," Seven reasoned as she put down her book.

"You're right, but someone cleaned up around here, and I'm guessing it was you." Seven looked undeniably guilty, like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Bedrest is inefficient. All I did was put your dirty clothes in your closet and stack the dirty dishes in the sink." She paused. "It was surprisingly tiring." It had been her intention to do a little bit more around here, but something as simple as that completely wiped her out. She planned on reading for a little while before laying down for a little while.

"Which is why the Doctor wants you on bedrest." He took her hand in both of his, instantly engulfing it almost completely as he pressed it against his lips. "You need to rest, _muñeca_ , or else the Doctor will take you back to sickbay." The notion of going back to sickbay caused Seven's heart to flutter. As much as she enjoyed the Doctor's company, that was the last place she wanted to be. She wanted to be here with Chakotay; he was far better company at night.

"I would be much more comfortable here," she commented.

"Then rest. I know it's hard for you, but you need to rest. Watch some movies, take a nap, paint, write some poetry."

"I have never expressed any interest in writing poetry or painting."

"So try it. You need to relax, Seven, that's an order." It felt strange to Chakotay to order a crewman to take some time off and relax, but he knew if he phrased it that way, perhaps Seven would be more likely to listen, although she was particularly adept at finding loopholes in orders to meet her own needs.

"I will do my best to comply," she grumbled, although she looked less than pleased with her current situation. Just sitting around and doing nothing went against everything she believed in. She'd spent enough time sitting around on the away mission, and even though doing just about anything wore her out, she needed to be productive. He kissed her cheek softly.

"That's all I ask," he whispered tenderly in her ear. His warm breath sent shivers down her spine. She could hear a hint of desperation in his voice, which made her want to comply, no matter how much she detested just sitting around. "Now, what can I get you for lunch?" Seven opened her mouth to argue that she was perfectly capable of preparing her own meal but then remembered her promise to stay off her feet. Perhaps it would be nice to have Chakotay take care of her for the next few days.

"All I require is a nutritional supplement. The breakfast you provided did its job, and I am still full."

"As you wish." He stole another quick kiss before crossing the room to the replicator. Normally he ate lunch in the mess hall, but given Seven's current condition, he much preferred to eat with her in the privacy of his quarters. They had a lot of catching up to do, and he needed to see that she was alright to give him the peace of mind he needed to complete his duty shift for the day.

Chakotay returned to Seven with her nutritional supplement in one hand and a salad for him in the other hand. It wasn't the most glamorous meal in the world, but it was better than nothing. He wasn't particularly hungry, but if he didn't eat, then he was afraid that she would refuse to eat. He handed over her drink before taking a seat next to her.

"How is Icheb doing?" he asked before taking a bite of salad. He hoped that the conversation had turned more cordial after he left, but the expression on her face told him that that wasn't the case. She looked visibly distraught when he brought up her mentee's name. "What's wrong?"

"I fear that Icheb is displeased with me." Chakotay was about to take a bite of his salad, but when he heard that, he put down his fork and leaned forward with a concerned look on his face.

"Why?"

"He is upset that nobody told him I was released from sickbay," Seven replied. He sighed. He figured as much. He selfishly had kept the news to himself, without bothering to think of the consequences. He just hoped that Icheb wasn't one to hold a grudge.

"I should have told him last night. The Captain told me this morning that he has been struggling ever since you got back to _Voyager_ , and it made me realize that I should have been more aware of his feelings towards you."

"Icheb is not your responsibility. As his mentor and close friend, I should have thought of him, although, I must confess that I do not know how to proceed." Usually when he was upset with her, he tended to calm down after a day or two, but she had a feeling that this was different. The secrets she'd been keeping from him for several weeks now were finally out in the open, and they were like a slap in the face to him. It would take more than a few days of cooling off to mend their relationship.

"What if I talk to him?" Chakotay suggested as he finally took a bite of his salad. Seven shook her head. If there was one person Icheb was angrier with right now, it was Chakotay. Having him talk to him would be like rubbing salt in the wound.

"No, that will only make matters worse. He is also upset that I did not tell him about our relationship sooner." While Chakotay felt bad for Icheb about what had happened last night, he was hardly sympathetic about the other problem plaguing the young man. Contrary to what he might believe, she was under no obligation to tell him anything about her personal life.

"You aren't required to tell him about all aspects of your personal life," he pointed out as he continued to eat his salad. "It's called a personal life for a reason. I didn't even tell the Captain until we got back."

"Was she upset as well?" He shook his head.

"Just a little disappointed that I didn't tell her sooner, but she understood why. This is our life, Seven, and we don't have to tell anyone anything about it if we don't want to. I honestly think that B'Elanna was a little more upset than the Captain was." As much as she and B'Elanna didn't get along, she knew that she had a close relationship with Chakotay, which she respected. She could see B'Elanna being upset that she didn't know about their relationship.

"I am still unsure what to do about Icheb," she confessed, switching the conversation back to their original topic. There were so few moments when she had no idea what to do, and she hated it. Normally, she knew exactly how to handle most situations, but when she didn't, it usually involved something with Icheb. He definitely pushed the boundaries with her, whether he meant to or not. She and Icheb tended to get along so well, so this was a strange phenomenon for her.

"He's a teenager, he's prone to moodiness. Just give him a day or two to cool off before talking to him. I'm sure he'll forget all about it by then."

"Were you this way when you were a teenager?" Seeing as she was never a teenager, she was fascinated by the notion of going through a rebellious teenage phase, although she didn't appreciate Icheb's behavior at the moment.

"Everyone does, _muñeca_ , it's a part of growing up." Curiosity and slightly confusion flashed across Seven's face, causing him to grow concerned. He hoped he hadn't said anything wrong. "What is it?"

"That word, _muñeca_ , when did you start referring to me as it?" He stopped to think, giving her a chance to take a drink of her nutritional supplement.

"When you were sick on the away mission," he finally replied. "It means doll in Spanish. Does it bother you?" A smile spread across her face as she shook her head. She often heard Tom and B'Elanna refer to each other with loving terms of endearment, although the harsh Klingon words she referred to her husband as didn't sound quite as sweet as Chakotay's word of choice for her. She loved the thought that he had carefully chosen a word to call her that was all her own.

"No, I am quite fond of it." Her smile was contagious as he smiled in return. He was glad she approved of the nickname. He had no idea why he picked it, it just came out and seemed natural to him. He would have hated to think of a new nickname for her, as this one felt like the perfect fit. With her blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes, she really did look like a doll to him. Satisfied, Chakotay turned his attention to eating his salad. He didn't have very long to eat, and he wanted to make the most of it before returning to the bridge.

"Seven." The voice was distant, penetrating her dreamlike state that swirled around her, gently probing her towards wakefulness "Seven." The voice sounded more urgent this time, almost fearful. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked around with a confused look on her face. The Doctor's eager face hovered a foot in front of hers, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin.

"Doctor! What are you doing here?" she demanded as she sat up and looked around. She was stretched out across the chaise with her book still in her lap. She had no recollection of falling asleep. After Chakotay returned to duty for the afternoon, she went back to reading, and the next thing she knew, the Doctor was waking her up.

"It's called a house call," the Doctor chirped excitedly. "I came to make sure you are resting."

"Of course I am resting," Seven snapped as she adjusted herself to sit up properly. Her heart pounded anxiously in her chest. If anything, the Doctor's unannounced visit had done more harm than good to her, scaring the hell out of her. "Do you not trust me?"

"Honestly? No. I half expected to find you in Astrometrics." Seven had to admit that she thought about sneaking off to the Astrometrics lab for a little bit of work but ultimately decided against it, as she would see Icheb, and she knew that he didn't want to see her right now.

"Well, I am here, and I am resting. There is no need to check on me." Undeterred, the Doctor pulled his medical tricorder out of his medkit and began to scan Seven. The results that flowed across the tiny screen looked promising.

"Your nanoprobe levels are exactly where I want them to be. How are you feeling?"

"I fatigue easily. I tried to straighten up a little bit, and I was immediately exhausted." As soon as Seven said those words, she instantly regretted them. She could see on the Doctor's face that he was displeased with her. She should have just kept her mouth shut and let him scan her.

"I thought you were resting," he stated in an unamused tone.

"I was. It was just putting some dirty clothes in the closet and some dishes in the sink, hardly anything difficult."

"Even so, there's a reason I said I want you on bedrest." He snapped the tricorder closed and returned it to his medkit. "I'm fine with you walking from the bedroom to the couch and back again, but I don't want you doing anything more than that, at least for another day or two." She opened her mouth to protest. "I know that that's difficult for you, but it's for your own good. If you do not think you can handle that, I can bring you back to sickbay. I'm sure Commander Chakotay will understand. Understood?"

"I will comply," Seven grumbled while glaring at him. She hated being treated like an invalid. She could take care of herself and didn't need to be checked on every few hours. The Doctor looked victorious as he sat on the chair next to her.

"Good. Now, what have you eaten today?"

"Chakotay made me strawberry pancakes and a bowl of fruit for breakfast, and I had a nutritional supplement for lunch." The Doctor nodded. While pancakes weren't exactly nutritious, he was pleased that she was eating solid food. She desperately needed to put on weight.

"Very good. Have you had any other difficulties besides fatigue?" She shook her head.

"No, I am otherwise undamaged." When she was sitting around like this, Seven found that she felt fine, but when she got up and moved around, that was when she felt unwell. She was certain that after a few days, she would be back to her usual self and wouldn't require these "house calls" from the Doctor, which meant that she would also be able to return to duty like she wanted.

Naomi's red hair bounced against her backpack as she skipped down the corridor, her gifts clenched tightly in her hands as she skidded to a stop. She had to rearrange everything in her arms to free up a hand to ring the doorbell. After a few seconds, nobody answered, which caused her to get worried. What if the Doctor was wrong and she wasn't here? This was a big ship, she could be anywhere. Naomi rang the doorbell again for good measure. A few seconds later, the doors slid open, revealing Seven.

"Naomi Wildman," she stated in her typical formal greeting as if they had just seen each other yesterday.

"Seven, you're alright!" Naomi gleefully announced. Momentarily forgetting what she was holding, she threw her arm around Seven's waist, catching the woman off guard. Seven took several steps backwards into Chakotay's quarters, unintentionally bringing Naomi with her, as the little girl tightly held onto her. "I was so worried about you. My mom and the Doctor told me that you were really sick, but nobody would tell me what was wrong or even let me see you." Seven's hands rested on top of Naomi's head in an attempt to calm the girl down.

"That was very wise of your mother, I was very ill." The door to Chakotay's quarters slid closed, giving the friends a little bit of privacy. It hadn't been Seven's intention to bring the child inside with her, but she didn't have the heart to send her away.

"I brought you flowers," Naomi announced proudly as she released Seven from her vice-like grip and thrust a bouquet of wildflowers into her unexpecting hands. "I also brought you some soup." She handed over a thermos of warm soup. "I don't know why, but that's what my mom gives me whenever I'm sick, so I brought you some also. Chell helped me make it. I hope you like it."

"If you made it, I am sure that it is sufficient." A smile broke out across Naomi's face. While it may not sound like it, Seven had just complimented her. Chell had insisted that the soup tasted fine and that Seven would like it, although there was no way to be sure with her, she wasn't entirely sure of all the types of food her friend liked.

"Did you get my cards?" Naomi continued before she could be properly thanked for the flowers. Her eyes sparkled at the prospect that Seven had seen all the cards she carefully made for her.

"I did, they made sickbay look very...festive. Thank you, and thank you for the flowers and soup, this is all very kind of you."

"You're my friend, and I'm happy you're okay. What was wrong with you in the first place?" Naomi didn't mean to be so intrusive, but this was the longest she'd gone without talking to Seven since their friendship blossomed, and it had been incredibly difficult for her. Her mom and the Doctor refused to tell her anything about Seven, only that she was incredibly sick, leaving her to draw her own conclusions about what that meant.

"My mobile regenerator was stolen and subsequently damaged on the away mission, and I could not regenerate," Seven replied. Naomi's eyes grew wide. She knew how important it was for former Borgs to regenerate. Never before had she thought about what would happen if Seven didn't regenerate, but it had to be pretty serious if she was in sickbay for as long as she had been.

"What happens if you don't regenerate?" she pressed out of genuine curiosity, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet in the process.

"That is irrelevant, as it won't happen again." Seven brought the flowers to her face and inhaled. They smelled absolutely heavenly. "I need to get these in some water." From her past experiences, she knew Chakotay kept a vase around here somewhere, although she wasn't entirely sure where, as she had been a little distracted when he retrieved it. She hoped that the change of subject would be enough to distract Naomi and put an end to the questions.

While Seven searched for a vase, Naomi had a chance to look around. Even after all her years on _Voyager_ , she'd never been in Commander Chakotay's quarters; it was all very exciting to her. The walls were decorated with beautiful Native American artwork, which didn't surprise her, as she knew how important his heritage was to him. There were also exciting archaeological artifacts that he collected from their adventures across the Delta Quadrant. She had no idea what they were or where they came from, but that didn't stop her from carefully examining them. The thought of picking them up for closer examination crossed her mind, but she thought about how disappointed the First Officer would be in her if she accidentally broke one of them. She wouldn't like it if someone touched her belongings, so she wasn't about to do that to him.

As Naomi explored Chakotay's quarters, she couldn't help but peek in his bedroom. She hadn't meant to, but she was just so curious. It was hard to imagine Commander Chakotay having a personal life, although he was always in a good mood and a jokester, he was still the First Officer onboard and therefore professional as well. As she peeked into the bedroom, Naomi couldn't help but notice the state of the unmade bed. It looked like it did when she slept in bed with her mom when she had a bad dream, both pillows were smashed up, and she would still see the faint outline of two sleeping forms.

"Are you sleeping in the same bed as Commander Chakotay?" The question just came out. As soon as she asked it, she knew she shouldn't have. Her mother always told her that she had to watch her mouth and be careful of the questions she asked.

"Naomi Wildman, that is a highly improper question," Seven scolded as she filled the vase she finally found with water and put the flowers in it before setting the vase in the center of the kitchen table.

"I'm sorry." Naomi sounded genuinely repentant for her transgression. "But everyone on _Voyager_ is talking about you and the Commander, and then I saw the bed, and I got curious." Seven's brow furrowed at the news that the crew was already gossiping about her and Chakotay. It appeared that the Captain was right, they were going to talk about their relationship regardless, so she might as well stay here. "I didn't do it to mean. Please don't be mad at me." Seven's gaze softened. There was no way she could stay mad at Naomi for long, she didn't ask to be malicious like Icheb, she was innocent and genuinely curious.

"I am not mad at you, but you must learn to be mindful of what you say."

"Okay. Then I hope you don't take it the wrong way when I say that you look a mess." It was hard for Seven to reprimand Naomi about that, as she knew she was telling the truth.

"I am aware. I attempted to fix my hair last night, but I was unsuccessful."

"Did you try washing it in the sink? That's what my mom does when her hair is really bad."

"I splashed some water on my hair and tried to brush it out." Naomi shook her head.

"Oh no, that's not how you do it. Come on, I'll do your hair for you, and then we can eat." Before Seven could protest, the young girl grabbed her hair and pulled her in the direction of the bathroom. She wanted an excuse to take a break from bedrest, and this looked like the perfect opportunity.

In the bathroom, Naomi began to dig around the medicine cabinet, although it had little more than a razor, toothbrush and a few other toiletry items that belonged to Chakotay. Unfortunately, none of them were what she needed. She should have expected as much, men didn't have to put as much effort into their appearance as women.

"Hmmm." Her brow furrowed in annoyance. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." Before Seven could assure her that she was staying put, Naomi darted out of the room with her hair flying behind her like a vivid red cape. Seven wasn't sure if this was the best idea; she was more than capable of washing her hair on her own. When she thought about telling Naomi that, however, she could picture her little face falling with disappointment. It was clear that the girl was desperate to spend time with her, even if that time was spent washing her hair. She couldn't send her away, not when she was so desperate to spend a few moments together.

There was a grunt and the sound of scraping as Naomi reentered the bathroom pushing one of the chairs from the kitchen table in front of her. Balanced precariously on the chair was a small jar containing some sort of thick liquid that she'd just replicated. Seven couldn't figure out what she was doing or why she needed to drag a chair all the way across Chakotay's quarters.

"Naomi Wildman, what are you doing?" Seven asked in an unamused tone.

"I had to get something to wash your hair with. It's what my mom uses to wash her hair when she does this," Naomi explained as she wedged the chair between the sink and the toilet and climbed up to stand on the piece of furniture. She was now at eye level with Seven.

"Why do you have a chair?"

"So I can reach," she chirped excitedly. She pulled the sink out of the wall, instantly turning it on. "Now, put your head under the water." Seven was about to comply when Naomi exclaimed, "Oh! Wait a minute." She scrambled off the chair and grabbed a handful of towels from off the rack, inadvertently sending a few of them scattering to the floor in the process. "This can sometimes get a little messy," she explained as she spread out one of the towels on the floor and motioned for Seven to stand on it.

"Naomi, I am unsure if this is a good idea," Seven said with trepidation as she followed Naomi's instructions and stood on the towel. The material was soft against her bare feet. She was more than capable of taking care of her personal grooming without Naomi, and the last thing she wanted to do was make a mess, especially given the fact that these weren't her quarters.

"It'll be fine," Naomi assured with confidence. "Now lean over and put her head under the running water." While Seven still thought that it wasn't the best idea, she complied with the girl's directions to keep her happy. After going nearly two weeks without seeing her, she would probably do anything she requested to make her happy.

Naomi hummed a nameless tune under her breath as she gently poured the concoction from the replicator over Seven's damp hair and carefully worked it through the knots. Just like with her mom, it worked miracles at causing the knots to simply melt away. She also made sure to massage Seven's scalp with her fingertips. As she did, she could feel scars that were usually hidden by her hair. The sensation caught her off guard, and for a moment she almost recoiled in surprise. When she realized that the scars were from her Borg implants, however, she was able to focus her attention back on the task at hand. Even though she always saw the implants on her friend's hand and above her eyebrow, she got so used to them that she often forgot that they were a constant reminder of her past as a drone. She only saw her once or twice before the Doctor removed all her implants, and, quite honestly, she terrified her then. It had taken a lot of time for them to get to this stage of their relationship. Now, they were practically attached at the hip. As cool and hardened she might appear on the outside, there was always a soft spot in Seven's heart for the little girl, which Naomi knew and sometimes used to her advantage.

Naomi's touch was oddly soothing against Seven's scalp. Although her back was starting to hurt from being hunched over the sink, she instead focused her attention on enjoying the relaxing sensation. Cold water splashed across the back of her neck, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin in surprise.

"Oh, sorry," Naomi apologized. From her position, Seven was able to see the floor. The towel she stood on was starting to get wet. It was a good thing they had put it down, as she would have felt terrible if they made a mess in Chakotay's bathroom; she wanted to stay here, but she wasn't sure he'd let that happen if she made a mess. "Okay, I think I'm done," Naomi announced. Seven went to stand up, but Naomi exclaimed, "No, don't stand up!"

"Explain."

"Your hair is dripping wet. Let me get you another towel. Don't move." Seven complied as Naomi hopped down off the chair and grabbed two more towels off the nearby rack. She draped one along Seven's shoulders and announced, "Okay, now you can stand up, but be careful." Seven stood up, causing her dripping wet hair to tumble past her shoulders and onto the towel that she clasped around her shoulders to keep it from slipping off. Before she could catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Naomi threw the other towel over her head and began to ruffle her hair back and forth like her mother did to absorb as much of the water as possible.

"Naomi, I am perfectly capable of drying off my own hair," Seven attempted to argue in a muffled voice from underneath the towel.

"I've got it," Naomi chirped. Her assurance did stop the woman from trying to break free from her surprisingly strong grip. "Now stand still. I'm almost done." Underneath the obscured view of the towle, Seven scowled. It was one thing to be treated by an invalid by Chakotay, but it was another thing to be treated accordingly by a little girl.

All the rustling and movement from the towel caused Seven to start to lose her equilibrium. Her hand blindly shot out to to grab the edge of the sink, but the towel prevented her from seeing anything around her. Essentially, she had to find a way to keep her balance with nothing to grab. She couldn't fall over now, not here in front of Naomi.

"Naomi."

"I'm almost done." The sensation was getting worse. She was sure if Naomi didn't stop right away, she would undoubtedly collapse.

"Naomi!" The desperation in her voice finally got her to stop.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she pulled the towel off her head. All the color had drained from Seven's cheeks, and she looked like she was about to pass out. "Seven? What's wrong?"

"I feel damaged," Seven admitted as she shed the towel around her shoulders and dropped it to the floor carelessly. "Can you help me to the bed?" Naomi immediately jumped off the chair. She looped one arm around her friend's waist and carefully guided her to the bed, although she felt like there was almost nothing she could do if Seven did pass out, as her friend was significantly taller and heavier than her.

"Do you want me to get the Doctor or Commander Chakotay?" she asked as Seven lowered herself into the bed, her arms outstretched to balance herself out. For a second, she considered the offer, but she knew that both men would use this as an excuse to admit her back into sickbay for an undetermined amount of time. Her best bet to keep her freedom was to keep them in the dark.

"No," she insisted. "Do not tell either of them, promise me." Naomi didn't like keeping secrets, especially from someone as important as Commander Chakotay. Seven could see the apprehension in her eyes. "I'm fine, I just feel a little weak. There is no need to tell either of them, they would grow concerned unnecessarily."

"Okay…" Naomi reluctantly relented as she smoothed the blankets down around Seven and did her best to tuck her in. "Can I get you anything?"

"You can get me the soup you brought. I have been looking forward to it since you got here." Naomi's face lit up. Without waiting for further directions, she darted out of the bedroom, eager to do anything to help her friend get back on her feet.

From her position on the bed, Seven could hear the clatter of dishes as Naomi hurried to complete the task assigned to her. She really hoped she wasn't making a mess, although she had a feeling that the child had a habit of making a mess wherever she went, it was simply inevitable.

"Do you require assistance?" she called. Even though she still felt incredibly weak, she had to offer, just to play it safe.

"No, I'm fine," Naomi assured. "I'm just getting a bowl." There was another loud clatter, followed by her shouting, "Don't worry, Seven, I didn't break anything." Seven sighed. Perhaps she should have gone to help her, but the thought of getting out of bed completely exhausted her. She hoped Naomi didn't break anything, as these weren't her quarters, and she would hate for Chakotay to get upset with her.

After a few minutes, Naomi slowly entered the bedroom with the bowl of soup balanced on the tray from breakfast. The young girl looked exceptionally proud of herself as she set up the tray across Seven's lap and crawled onto the bed next to her. Seven looked down at the soup. It appeared to be some sort of vegetable soup in a thick, brown broth. She had seen it served in the mess hall in the past, although she never consumed it herself. It certainly smelled appealing. It had been over six hours since she'd eaten lunch with Chakotay. Normally, she was fine going so long without eating, but after what had happened to her, she needed to regain her energy.

"Thank you, Naomi. This is very kind of you."

"It's what friends do for eachother. I hope you like it." Seven took a bite of the soup. It tasted as appealing as it smelled. The broth tasted like a hybrid of the vegetables floating in the soup: carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms and even the faintest hint of leola root. Even with the native Delta Quadrant vegetable, the soup was pretty good.

"This soup is very appealing. You would be wise to pursue a career in the culinary arts." A smile broke out across Naomi's face. It was probably the best compliment Seven had given her in a very long time.

"I was so worried you wouldn't like it," she gushed. "I'm so glad you like it." Seven took another bite. This soup tasted far better than her nutritional supplements. Perhaps she should consider switching over to meals like this more often, as long as she made sure they met all her dietary requirements as well. She would talk to the Doctor about it next time he stopped by for one of his house calls.

Normally when his duty shift was over, Chakotay stayed in his office a bit longer to wrap up whatever task he was working on and several other tasks as well to prepare for duty tomorrow. Today, however, he left the second the bell rang to indicate the end of the shift and the start of the next one. He would finish up tomorrow, right now he wanted to get back to his quarters and make sure Seven was alright.

As Chakotay exited his office, Tom called out, "Commander!" He turned around for a second to see the Lieutenant jogging to catch up with him. "How's Seven?" Tom fell into step next to him as he continued to head back to his quarters.

"She's fine." The First Officer sounded relieved and the most relaxed he'd sounded in weeks. "The Doctor released her temporarily to my quarters, and she's on bedrest for the next few days." Tom scoffed at the notion of Seven being on bedrest.

"You actually think she's lying around in bed? She's probably up and hacking into the Astrometrics lab from your quarters as we speak." Chakotay hated to admit it, but Tom was probably right. Sitting around wasn't something Seven did. On the other hand, he saw how exhausted she was from doing something as simple as picking up dirty clothes and dishes. There was no way she would be able to be back to her old self. With any luck, she'd listen to her body and relax as much as possible so she could back to her normal self as quickly as possible.

"I'd like to think she's resting. She's still very weak. The Doctor stopped by and sent me a report a few hours ago. He said that she'll be fine, there's no lasting damage to any of her systems as far as he could tell." Tom looked relieved as well. He had been worried sick about Seven, and it sounded like she was starting to feel better, even if she wasn't back to her old self yet. They slowed to a stop. This was where Tom had to turn to get to his quarters, which meant they had to part ways.

"Well, let me and B'Elanna know if need anything." He clapped the Chakotay on the back.

"I will, thanks." He wasn't sure if there was anything Tom could do, or anything B'Elanna was willing to do for that matter, but the offer was incredibly gracious. It only proved to him how concerned people had been for Seven's welfare. He'd been so wrapped up in his own personal suffering that he didn't even notice the struggles of those around him, including those who had been unfortunate enough to suffer through that away mission with him.

When Chakotay entered his quarters, he was immediately greeted by giggling and chatter coming from the bedroom. At first, he thought it was Seven, even though he knew that she wasn't the type of person to giggle, but when he rounded the corner to investigate the noise, he saw Naomi sitting in the middle of his bed next to Seven. She clutched a PADD in her hand and excitedly read off the information to Seven, who looked at her with the scrutinizing gaze she used when she taught the little girl.

"What's going on here?" Chakotay asked with an amused expression on his face. Having been so wrapped up in her lesson, Naomi hadn't even realized that they weren't alone. Wide eyed, she scrambled off the bed and stood at attention.

"Commander Chakotay," she greeted formally.

"At ease, Naomi," Chakotay said with a chuckle as he crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed next to Seven. He rubbed her legs through the thick blankets. Momentarily forgetting that they were alone, he kissed the corner of her lips. Naomi's face wrinkled in disgust as she climbed back on the bed. It was one thing for her to hear that the two of them were in a relationship, it was another thing to see it with her own eyes like that. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired but otherwise undamaged," Seven replied. "Naomi brought me some food-"

"I helped Chell make it myself." Chakotay's face lit up as he turned to face her.

"You did?" He sounded genuinely interested and pleased with the announcement. "Did you save any for me?" Her little face fell.

"I'm sorry, Commander, I didn't know you wanted any."

"It's fine, Naomi, I'm sure it was delicious. Thank you for looking after Seven. I'm sure she appreciated the company." Naomi nodded her head.

"We're catching up on my lessons. We're very far behind."

"Oh, I'm sure you are. What did you learn today?" She grabbed her PADD and slid across the bed so she could show the Commander what she had been learning with the help of Seven. They had a lot of catching up to do. Thankfully, both of them were extremely devoted to her studies, which meant she would be able to catch up rather quickly.

With extreme attentiveness, Chakotay listened as Naomi gave him a play by play of every aspect of her lesson with Seven. Apparently the little girl had done her best to keep up with the lessons while Seven was gone and in sickbay, but the material was a little too much for her to handle on her own, and she had fallen behind. As a result, she and Seven had covered a surprising amount of material during their impromptu lesson to make sure she got back on track.

"Wow, you girls certainly did a lot today," Chakotay observed once she was done going over everything. A large smile spread across Naomi's face. More than anything, she loved being recognized for her efforts, especially when that recognition came from Commander Chakotay or Captain Janeway. It was all part of her plan to become Captain herself one day.

All of a sudden, Sam's voice came over the comsystem, saying, "Ensign Wildman to Naomi." Naomi scowled in protest. Her mother had terrible timing.

"Yes, Mom?"

"It's time for you to come home. It's dinner time."

"Yes, Mom," she grumbled as she began to gather up her belongings and toss them in her backpack. Before she climbed off the bed, she threw her arms around Seven's neck. The action caught her off guard, but once she regained her composure, she awkwardly returned the affection. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Seven."

"I am glad you have been trying to keep up with your studies. And thank you for your visit." Naomi was all smiles as she hopped off the bed and rushed out the door. If her mom wanted her back, then she better hurry. Besides, now that Commander Chakotay was back, she got the sense that he would want to spend some time with Seven, doing whatever it was adults did when they were alone.

Chakotay couldn't help but smile as well as he watched Naomi leave his quarters. He was glad she came by, she always seemed to cheer Seven up. Their relationship was definitely an interesting one, they were frequently together, and he could see a certain sparkle in Seven's eyes when she was around the little girl. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Naomi brought out the maternal side of her that was very rarely seen ever since Mezoti and the twins had left.

"How is _Voyager_ doing?" Seven asked. Being stuck in Chakotay's quarters, especially after a week long away mission and a week in sickbay, she felt like she was so out of the loop with the going ons onboard. She wanted to know where they were in the quadrant, how things were going. Ever since she started working in Astrometrics, she was always acutely aware of most things going on aboard the starship, but that wasn't the case anymore.

" _Voyager_ is fine," Chakotay replied. "It was a pretty slow day. You're not missing anything exciting, _muñeca_ , I promise." He leaned in for another kiss, this time directly on the lips. Seven returned the affection, her metal laced fingertips brushing along his jaw in the process. "Now, I'm going to shower, and then we can figure out dinner, okay?"

"Okay." Before standing up, he gave her leg and affectionate squeeze. She smiled at him as she watched him disappear into the bathroom.

Only a few moments later, he poked his head out of the bathroom and asked, "Hey, Seven, why are all my towels wet and on the floor?"

 **Author's Note:** What did you think? Be sure to leave a review and let me know.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

Seven stretched her arms over her head and rolled over, expecting to find Chakotay fast asleep next to her. Instead, she found a PADD the nightstand propped up against a glass of one of her nutritional supplements. With a small smile, she propped herself up on her elbow and picked up the device, reading the note hastily typed across the screen.

 _You looked too peaceful to wake. I went down to the cargo bay and got you some of your clothes before I reported to the bridge. I'll stop by around lunch to check on you. Remember to take it easy._

Despite the fact that the note was short, Seven found it incredibly sweet. Chakotay didn't have to retrieve her clothes for her; he really was going above and beyond in an attempt to make her as comfortable as possible. She sat up properly and dutifully drank her nutritional supplement, although it wasn't nearly as good as yesterday's breakfast. Even so, she drank the thick liquid and nestled back against the pillows comfortably and tried to think of what she would do today. There was only so much time a person could spend sitting around before they got restless, and she was already starting to get to that point. With any luck, perhaps Naomi would stop by again, although Seven was prepared for that to not happen and needed to find ways to keep herself occupied while staying off her feet. She would have to find a way to entertain herself.

After drinking her breakfast, Seven climbed out of bed and padded over to the closet. Sure enough, there were a handful of her bodysuits neatly folded on one of the shelves. For some reason, the appearance of her clothes next to his unnerved her. She had intended to only stay here for a day or two at the very most, but the sight of her clothes gave it a slightly more permanent vibe, like she was expecting to be here for a while. On the other hand, she liked the thought of staying here. Previously, she thought that her cargobay was all she needed; it had a place for her to store what few personal belongings she owned, a computer station to work at and an alcove for her to use to regenerate. Technically, it did have everything she needed, but now that she was spending time in Chakotay's quarters, she realized there was so much more that a person needed. There was something wonderful about having somewhere to relax and read a book or spend some private time with Chakotay. Since she shared her cargobay with Icheb, however, her privacy was extremely limited, which meant any time the couple wanted to spend together, it had to be here, which was already starting to get a little old. Maybe when all of this was said and done, she would talk to the Captain about getting some private quarters for herself. If anything, she'd learned from Icheb's little blow up that there needed to be some distance between them, which wasn't going to happen as long as they shared a cargobay.

Seven ran her fingertips over the stack of bodysuits but ultimately decided to stay in the clothes she'd borrowed from Chakotay. They were far more comfortable than the confining bodysuits she normally wore, and, as far as she could tell, he didn't seem to mind. She grabbed a fresh set of sweats and shed the ones she currently wore and pulled on the clean ones. The dark grey pants nearly fell off her narrow hips, prompting her to pull the drawstring tight and tie them off to keep the garment in place. She practically swam in the dark green sweatshirt, but she didn't mind. The article of clothing comforted her as Chakotay's smell, a combination of sweat, aftershave and the spices he often used in his cooking. Her fingers instinctively went to pin her hair back in its usual French twist but instead decided to leave her hair down. Since she wasn't reporting to Astrometrics, she saw little point in pinning her hair back. She was meant to be on vacation, which meant she could wear her hair down and not wear her usual bodysuits, at least until she reported back to duty again.

On the bridge, Kathryn couldn't help but glance at Chakotay out of the corner of her eye. She quickly averted her gaze, but not quick enough. He saw her, flashing her a confused look. She'd been giving him strange glances all morning, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"What?" he finally asked.

"Nothing," she replied quickly, a little too quickly to be believable. He raised an eyebrow in amusement and continued to stare at her, waiting for her to come clean. She was terrible at keeping secrets. "Okay, I couldn't help but notice that you look very well rested." She kept her voice low so nobody else on the bridge could hear their conversation. After all this time, they had become adept at having private conversations in one of the most public areas of the ship.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He had gotten a significantly better night's sleep last night than he had in the past, but that didn't mean Kathryn needed to point it out so bluntly.

"It means that you're starting to look like your old self again. You were a mess, Chakotay, and I don't think you realize how bad a shape you were in."

"I do," Chakotay confessed. At the time, it hadn't dawned on him that he was a mess, but now that he looked back on his behavior, he was surprised that she didn't relieve him of duty. He wasn't eating or sleeping, and anyone with eyes could see that. "And I'm starting to feel like my old self too."

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're happy and back to your usual self. I may stop by and see Seven today if she's up to it."

"I'm sure she'll welcome your visit. I think she's starting to get restless."

"It's only been one day," Kathryn pointed out with a laugh. Her laughter was contagious and caused him to smile as well, flashing him that dimpled grin of his that told her that he really was starting to feel better.

"You know how she is. Sitting around is inefficient." Kathryn rolled her eyes. She didn't know how Chakotay did it. He certainly had his hands full trying to make sure Seven rested and got her strength back while making sure she also stayed off her feet; Seven was a notoriously difficult patient, at least according to the Doctor.

Seven felt conflicted. She was tired, but she was also restless. Whenever she sat down, she felt the pull to get to her feet and do something productive. Within fifteen minutes, however, she was tired and needed to sit down and regain her energy, only to repeat the process all over again. The result was her doing a little bit of work around Chakotay's modest quarters before laying down to rest for a little while before getting up and cleaning a little bit more. Accustomed to always feeling at her peak physical prowess, she found that it was a highly inefficient use of her time. Deep down inside, she knew he told her to rest, and she was resting, just between bouts of cleaning and productivity. She couldn't wait until she was back to normal, and she could not only return to duty but also just feel like her usual self.

Thankfully, the doorbell ringing caught Seven's attention. Grateful for a break from the monotony that was starting to wear her down, she put the book she was trying to read while regaining her energy to the side and glanced in the direction of the door.

"Come in," she called. The Doctor breezed into the quarters with his usual upbeat manner that annoyed but also comforted her.

"I'm surprised to see that you've managed to stay off your feet," he teased as he made himself comfortable on one of the chairs next to her.

"I am doing my best to comply with your orders, no matter how difficult they are. I am also attempting to rest so I can regain my energy." She purposefully left out the part where she cleaned up the mess in the bathroom from Naomi's visit yesterday, made the bed and did a little bit of light cleaning around the small quarters.

"Is there anything in particular you are trying to regain your energy for?" the Doctor pressed. Seven looked highly unamused by the question and the inappropriate insinuation that could be drawn from his question.

"I am simply attempting to return to my usual physical capabilities. In my current state, I am inefficient." The Doctor flipped open his medkit and produced his tricorder. Without bothering to ask for permission, he scanned Seven's body.

"Your body is continuing to recover. So far, everything appears to be going as planned, your nanoprobe levels are continuing to rise, but they aren't exactly where I'd like them to be." Seven figured as much, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.

"Can I return to duty?" There was a hint of hopefulness in her voice at the prospect of finally being able to return to duty and stop being a drain on _Voyager_ 's resources. He looked unamused at the suggestion. His expression spoke volumes and told her the answer to her question. It appeared that she would have to be subjected to several more days of her so called "vacation".

"As long as you are aware of your limitations and still get plenty of rest, I guess I can release you from bedrest," the Doctor hesitantly relented. "But I want you to make sure to take it easy. If you start to feel tired, you need to rest. Don't push your body to its limit or else you may end up back in sickbay."

"So I am free to resume my usual activities?"

"As long as those activities don't involve returning to duty or any strenuous activities." It wasn't everything Seven wanted to hear, but at least now she wasn't limited to bedrest anymore. The only problem was the fact that she was feeling so tired after completing the most basic of tasks.

"Reporting to duty is my usual activities," she argued incredulously.

"I'm sorry, Seven, but I want you resting for a few more days. I'd much rather play it safe and have you rest for a few more days than risk any damage to you or your implants."

"Very well, I will comply," she grumbled. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew the Doctor's heart was in the right place, and it made sense. Had she been in the Doctor's place, she would have said the exact same thing. She would find a way to adapt. At least now she was cleared to be up and moving;s he was no longer confined to bed anymore. The Doctor put away his tricorder but gave no indication that he was ready to leave yet.

"Other than fatigue, how are you feeling? Are you settling into Commander Chakotay's quarters comfortably?"

"There is no need for me to settle in, this is a temporary situation," Seven stated bluntly. "Once I feel like myself, I will return to my cargobay." Skeptical that that would actually happen, the Doctor raised an eyebrow in amusement. "You don't believe me. Explain."

"It's not my place to comment on the personal lives of my patients," he said as grabbed his medkit and stood up to leave. That was probably the biggest lie she'd ever heard in her life. The Doctor was always heavily involved in his patients' lives, especially her life. He seemed to know more about her than she knew about herself sometimes.

"Doctor," Seven attempted to argue as she stood up as well. "Explain yourself." She sounded desperate, which was the only reason he didn't walk out of the room and put an end to the conversation. "Do you think it is inappropriate for me to be staying with Commander Chakotay?"

"It doesn't matter what I think, Seven, or what anyone else thinks for that matter. I just think that you may find that you like staying here much better than your cargobay and may want to stay if the Commander allows it."

"That would be highly improper. Commander Chakotay is First Officer of _Voyager_."

"What did you expect to happen when you started exploring your romantic feelings for Chakotay?" the Doctor pressed. She opened and closed her mouth several times as she attempted to think of an answer, although nothing came to mind. He had an excellent point there. Based on her research on human romantic relationships, cohabitation was usually the end result. She hadn't given much thought into what would happen between her and Chakotay in the long run, but this was something that was probably inevitable. Glaring at him, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"That is irrelevant," she snapped. Usually she had no problem talking to the Doctor about anything in her life, but this also had to do with Chakotay, and since he was such a private individual, she wouldn't disrespect him by talking about such issues. As far as she was concerned, this only had to do with the two of them, and she didn't appreciate the Doctor's line of questioning. "And I think you should go."

"Very well. Just remember, you have to do what's right for you." With his advice still hanging in the air, the Doctor turned to leave. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. She had to do what was best for her and for this relationship. Her biggest fear was that Chakotay would reject her if she dared bring up moving in together. Based on her research, such a bold move didn't happen until significantly later in a relationship. Even Tom and B'Elanna waited several years before moving in together.

The second he opened the doors to his quarters, Chakotay was greeted by the smell of dinner being cooked. Confused, he headed straight for the kitchen, where he saw Seven standing with her back to him. He took a moment to admire her and her undeniable beauty that she always exerted. Even in a set of his sweats hanging loosely off her delicate frame, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her golden hair tumbled just past her shoulders, just begging him to run his fingers through it, and she was completely absorbed in her task that she didn't even realize she wasn't alone anymore.

"I thought you were supposed to be on bedrest," he commented gently as he approached her. Seven had been so wrapped up in her cooking that his voice startled her. She jumped and turned around with a flash of guilt on her face.

"The Doctor said that I am free to start resuming my normal activities, although I am not to report to duty or do anything too strenuous for a few more days," she explained in an attempt to explain away her actions.

"So you're making dinner."

"I wanted to be helpful." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck affectionately. She instinctively tilted her head to the side, giving him better access while shivers shot through her.

"You know, if you like my clothes so much, I can replicate you some," he murmured tenderly.

"I hope you do not mind."

"No, not at all. I think those clothes look much better on you than on me." Temporarily abandoning her cooking, Seven turned around and rested her hands on his chest.

"Is that to say you think you are not attractive to me? Because that is not true. I find you very attractive." His fingers trailed along her side and fingered the hem of her shirt, tugging it up ever so slightly to reveal the milky flesh underneath that just begged him to stroke it.

"No, I just think that my clothes look far better on you."

"You are a little biased." He stole a quick kiss.

"Just a little bit," he whispered before pulling away and turning his attention to the food she was preparing. "What's for dinner?"

"I am preparing hamburgers." Chakotay opened his mouth to remind her that he was a vegetarian, but she cut him off. "Don't worry, I have ensured that they contain no meat, although my research has told me that the vegetarian option does not taste as good." The very name of the dish implied that it contained meat, but she wasn't going to disrespect his dietary choices.

"I'm sure they'll be delicious." He reached to grab cherry tomato out of the salad sitting in a bowl, but she immediately slapped his hand away.

"That is for dinner, not for now," she scolded. "If you are hungry, you will have to wait." The doorbell rang, momentarily distracting her long enough for him to snatch up a small tomato and pop it into his mouth. She glared at him disapprovingly, although he looked quite pleased with himself as he went to answer the door.

With Chakotay answering the door, Seven turned her attention back to the food. Her eyes widened as she realized that Chakotay's little interruption had caused her to nearly burn the hamburgers. She quickly snatched up the spatula and flipped them over. When she examined them closely, she did notice that they were singed a little bit but otherwise salvageable; she hoped they still tasted fine. She mentally scolded herself for allowing herself to be distracted, even if she found the encounter wonderful and exhilarating. While she knew Chakotay wouldn't mind if his food was a little burned, she desired to make this meal perfect; it was her chance to show him that she was more than capable of returning to some of her usual activities. The next hamburgers she made would have to be perfect to compensate for her mistake.

Cheerful voices and laughter caught Seven's attention. She had been so wrapped up in examining her cooking that she didn't hear who had entered Chakotay's quarters. For that reason, she was caught off guard when she turned around and saw Kathryn standing next to Chakotay, laughing at something he said.

"Captain!" Seven exclaimed. Although she'd felt perfectly comfortable with her appearance just a few minutes earlier, she suddenly felt self-conscious. She might be in the privacy of Chakotay's quarters, but she still thought it was completely inappropriate to be caught wearing the First Officer's clothes by the Captain, despite the intimacy of their relationship. She tugged nervously at the bottom of her shirt before her hands flew to her hair in an attempt to smooth it down, although every hair was in place as it hung in waves around her shoulders. "I was not expecting you to visit."

"At ease, Seven," Kathryn said with a laugh as she held up her hand to get the young woman to stop her uncomfortable fidgeting. "I told Chakotay that I was going to stop by." Seven glared at Chakotay, who shifted sheepishly from one foot to the other. He'd only been back in his quarters for a few minutes and had been so caught up in spending a few minutes with her that it completely slipped his mind. In his defense, he didn't expect Kathryn to stop by so quickly after the end of their shift.

"He neglected to inform me of this," she stated.

"I was a bit distracted." Now it was Kathryn's turn to feel uncomfortable as she caught the playful glimmer in her First Officer's dark eyes. Clearly she'd interrupted something private between the two of them. As happy as she was for Chakotay and Seven, she still had to adjust to the fact that they were in fact a couple; she never saw this relationship coming, and she was still trying to wrap her mind around it. Refusing to allow herself to ruin even more of the food, Seven turned back to the hamburgers to ensure she didn't burn them further.

"I thought you were supposed to be resting," Kathryn observed, eyeing her standing in the kitchen suspiciously; it looked like she'd been working here for a quite a while. Her tone gave away her displeasure with seeing Seven up and about like this.

"The Doctor has cleared me to start resuming some of my normal activities, as long as I don't over-exert myself," Seven explained in an attempt to assuage the Captain's concerns.

"I know, he updated me on your progress. I just don't want to see you wear yourself out." With the exception of herself and B'Elanna, Kathryn knew that Seven was one of the Doctor's more difficult patients, which was one of the reasons she wanted to be kept abreast of her condition, that and the fact that she was always concerned about the condition of members of her crew.

"I am aware of my body's limitations. Preparing dinner isn't a difficult task." Despite her argument, Seven was starting to feel a little bit worn out, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

"Maybe not for you, but you've never been subjected to the Captain's cooking," Chakotay teased as he threw himself down at the kitchen table so he could keep an eye on Seven, just in case something went wrong. He didn't intend to hover, he just worried about her.

"My cooking isn't that bad," Kathryn argued with a playful laugh as she took a seat at the table as well.

"Speak for yourself." She leaned over the table and smacked his arm, which caused him to laugh as well. Seven ignored the playful banter as she flipped over the hamburgers in front of her. After all this time, she knew that her boyfriend and the Captain had a special relationship that she'd never quite understand, but she found something comforting in their relationship as well. They always teased each other, an action she didn't quite understand as it seemed disrespectful, but they always seemed to know that it wasn't meant to be malicious.

As she assessed the food she prepared, Seven realized that she had made far too much food than necessary for her and Chakotay. She had been so wrapped up in the preparation process that she had miscalculated the amount of food she needed to cook. She should have been more careful with preparing an appropriate amount of food for just the two of them, but there was a simple solution to the problem.

"Captain, would you like to stay for dinner?" she offered as she turned around to face the Captain and Chakotay. Both of them looked caught off guard, immediately causing her to feel self-conscious about the request. Instantly, she knew she had overstepped her bounds; these weren't her quarters, and she had no right to simply invite someone over for dinner, especially if that person was the Captain. It didn't matter that the Captain and Chakotay were close friends and were known to have weekly dinners together in her quarters, these were still his quarters, and he should be the one to make that decision.

"Oh, no, I couldn't impose," Kathryn replied, trying to shake off the suggestion as politely as possible.

"It's no imposition," Chakotay insisted, realizing that this would be a wonderful opportunity to share a meal with the two most important women in his life. "There's plenty of food."

"Chakotay, I couldn't-"

"Kathryn, please," he requested softly, his dark brown eyes pleading with her. Sighing, she looked at Seven. Although the young woman looked hesitant about her offer, there was still a glimmer of hope in her light blue eyes that told her that it would disappoint her greatly if she turned down her offer.

"Fine," she finally relented. "As long as you insist it's fine."

"Of course it's fine. Plus it's better than any culinary monstrosity you'll replicate in your quarters." Kathryn rolled her eyes. Despite Chakotay's comments, her cooking wasn't as bad as he claimed it was. She always managed to make something edible...eventually. She might actually be better off eating here, the food smelled delicious.

Not only relieved that Chakotay was willing overlook her boldness but that the Captain agreed to her invitation, Seven turned her attention back to preparing the meal. She'd been caught up in the moment when she invited the Captain to join them, but now she felt the pressure of preparing the perfect meal for their guest bearing down on her. She felt nervous, which was a strange phenomenon for her. Cooking was still a slightly unfamiliar task to her, and she knew Chakotay would be forgiving of any imperfections, but the Captain was another story. Of course, there was no way Kathryn would dare criticize her cooking, but Seven still felt pressure from within to prepare the perfect meal. There was a lot of pressure that came with such an innocuous invitation.

As if sensing her new apprehension, Chakotay materialized at Seven's side. He put a reassuring hand on the small of her back, rubbing it slightly, trailing his fingertips along the gentle dip. His presence instantly helped calm her down, even if it was just a little bit, but she still wanted to prepare the best meal possible.

"What can I do to help?" he offered softly. He hated just sitting around while Seven did all the work. Even if she wasn't still recovering, he would find the situation uncomfortable, he didn't think she should be doing all the work. This was the twenty-fourth century, he wasn't going to sit around while his girlfriend did all the work.

"I do not require any assistance," she replied tersely.

"There has to be something I can do." She sighed with frustration. She could hear in his voice that he wasn't going to give up that easily.

"If you insist on helping, you can set the table," she finally relented. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, and it would get him out of her way while she put the finishing touches on the food. He retrieved three plates, glasses and sets of silverware and dutifully began to set them out on the table.

"What can I do to help?" Kathryn offered as she jumped to her feet. Without waiting for an answer, she helped Chakotay set the table. She knew he was perfectly capable of taking care of the task on his own, but, like him, she wanted to feel useful. Just like Seven, sitting around didn't suit either of them.

"You are our guest, it is unnecessary for you to do anything," Seven replied, although clearly Kathryn had made up her mind to help. The Captain ignored her response and continued to help set the table. When Seven turned around, she was less than pleased when she saw what she was doing; she was their guest and should be treated accordingly. "Captain-"

"I'm just helping to set the table, Seven, it's hardly the end of the world. If anything, you should be sitting down while Chakotay and I prepare a meal."

"You both have been working all day, it would not be right to expect you to prepare a meal as well." As she spoke, Seven placed the large bowl of salad on the table, quickly followed by the hamburgers and a plate of buns. A scrutinizing eye, she carefully examined the food spread out on the table. "We need knives." Kathryn and Chakotay exchanged quick glances. Clearly, in all her research she had overlooked one important detail about hamburgers.

"Umm, Seven, you eat hamburgers with your hands," he informed her as gently as possible. It took a few moments for the information to sink in, and a quizzical look flashed across her face as she tried to make sense of the revelation.

"That hardly seems sanitary. Why are utensils not properly utilized?"

"It's just how it is. If you want to get the full experience, you need to eat a hamburger with your hands," Kathryn replied as Chakotay replicated small bottles of ketchup and mustard to accompany the meal; another small oversight by Seven, but he wasn't going to mention it.

"I guess I will adapt." Seven sounded less than pleased with the news. She knew several foods were eaten with bare hands, but she always ate with silverware, no matter the strange looks she got from other members of the crew in the mess hall. Perhaps she should have been more thorough in her research before selecting this meal.

"Have a seat," Chakotay gently prompted as he pulled out a chair for Seven. Everything was ready, there was no need for her to run around the kitchen anymore. He noticed that she was starting to look a little tired from all her effort; she looked slightly paler than usual, and her blue eyes flitted back and forth, implying that she was having some trouble focusing He knew he was right when she didn't protest but instead immediately sat down. Now it was his turn to play host. He filled the water pitcher and then filled each of the glasses on the table.

"Seven, this looks delicious," Kathryn complimented as she served herself and passed the platters to Chakotay once she had enough food on her plate. Everything looked far more appetizing than anything she could have prepared in her quarters, and she was grateful she had decided to stay.

As soon as she took a bite of the hamburger, Kathryn knew she made the right decision staying here for dinner. The food was just as delicious as it smelled. The vegetables in the salad were fresh and crisp, which perfectly complemented the hardy taste of the hamburger. The hamburgers were perfectly prepared, cooked all the way through and expertly seasoned. If she didn't know any better, she would think that Seven was an expert chef with years of training and experience, not someone who had just started eating food a few years ago. She looked at Seven, who held her hamburger uneasily in her hand, trying to determine how she felt about eating without proper utensils. She and Chakotay could sense her apprehension.

"Something wrong?" Kathryn asked before taking a sip of water.

"I was unprepared to eat this meal with my hands," Seven confessed uneasily.

"Just take a bite out of it, _muñeca_ ," Chakotay prompted, giving her knee a reassuring squeeze in the process.

"I don't understand why I cannot use a knife and fork." She sounded frustrated with the ordeal. It was so simple, she should be able to eat her meal in a way that made her feel most comfortable, even if that went against social norms.

"Then you wouldn't get the full experience," Kathryn pointed out. "Just try it, and if you're still uncomfortable, then use a knife and fork." It seemed like a reasonable enough compromise. With some trepidation, she took a small bite. Both Kathryn and Chakotay openly stared at her, which only made her feel more self-conscious as she slowly chewed. The food was very well prepared, she had to admit that much. She took another bite, ignoring her discomfort that came with eating with her hands.

"See, it's not the end of the world," Chakotay commented. He was right. Perhaps eating with her hands wasn't the end of the world, as long as it didn't become a habit; utensils had been invented for a reason after all. While she did find the habit unsanitary, now that she bit into the hamburger, she understood that it would be difficult to eat it using a knife and fork.

Seven couldn't help but smile as Kathryn laughed and told her story; her laugh was contagious. Even Chakotay chuckled and shook his head as he contributed to the story. This meal was going far better than she anticipated. She thought it would be a formal, sit down meal, with polite conversation, not a chance for her to see the intimate side of Chakotay and Kathryn's friendship.

"So I show up to her quarters, and the doors open, and this giant plume of smoke comes spilling out into the corridor. I'm surprised she didn't set her quarters on fire." Kathryn rolled her eyes and took a sip of her water.

"I was so upset. We'd been on _Voyager_ for a few weeks, and this was my first real meal with Chakotay; I wanted to make a good first impression because I knew we'd be working together for a while," she continued. "And he shows up, and I've completely ruined the eggplant parmesan I made."

"Is that what that was supposed to be? I had no idea." She didn't look amused by his comment while he flashed her his boyish, dimpled smile that told her it was all in good fun. Although, when she looked back at the meal, it resembled little more than a charbroiled disaster.

"So all I had to offer him was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Our first weekly dinner, and I fed him a sandwich."

"It was a much better choice than that monstrosity you prepared," he teased. "I probably would have ended up in sickbay for a week." Kathryn swatted at his arm, which only encouraged him to laugh more. Even Seven couldn't help but smile as well.

"You're cooking is much better than mine, Seven. I must admit that I'm impressed."

"Cooking is relatively easy. It is simply mathematics and following directions."

"It may be easy for you, but Kathryn is a lost cause."

"Speak for yourself. I don't see you preparing gourmet meals in the mess hall," the Captain retorted.

"Oh, I know my limits, and they include cooking. I'll leave that to Chell and Seven." Seven felt her heart swell with pride. Despite the fact that she had burned some of the hamburgers a little bit, she felt confident that she could classify this meal as a success. The food was delicious, and now that she was familiar with the preparation and consumption of hamburgers, she knew she would be able to improve upon the recipe for future dinners. The thought initially caught her off guard. Future dinners implied that she would be staying here, making this a regular occurrence. When she returned to her cargobay, there would be no need for her to prepare meals like this, she would get her nutritional supplements from the mess hall, rendering meals like this unnecessary. If this were to continue, she would have to stay here with Chakotay. The more the idea came up, the more she came to accept it as a possibility.

Chakotay glanced over at Seven and noticed that she appeared to be spacing out, which was rare for her. She was always on point and fully with it, no matter what the conversation was. Given the past few weeks, however, strange behavior could be expected as she continued to recover and get back to her old self.

Still concerned that something was wrong, he put his hand on her arm and asked, "Are you alright?" His soothing voice and touch was enough to snap her back to reality.

"I'm fine," she assured. "Is everyone done eating?" Without bothering to wait for an answer, she jumped up to collect the dirty dishes. As soon as she was on her feet, however, dizziness consumed her. It felt like the ground beneath her feet was tilting, first in one direction and then another, causing her to stumble as her hand shot out to grab something, anything to save her balance. Without even realizing it, her hand latched on to Chakotay's shoulder and her fingers dug into his flesh, although it did little to help with the unpleasant sensation.

"Seven?" With a concerned look on her face, Kathryn got to her feet. Chakotay took a hold of Seven's arm and stood up as well.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he did his best to hold her upright.

"I am undamaged. I just stood up too quickly," Seven assured, although she sounded less than convincing. Her voice trembled slightly as she did her best to assure both Chakotay and the Captain that she really was fine. She latched onto his arm, afraid that if she let go, her knees would give out from under her. The color had drained from her face, and dark circles were starting to form under her eyes.

"You did too much tonight," Kathryn observed as she stood on the other side of her, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You need to rest."

"I can rest after I take care of the dirty dishes," Seven argued as she attempted to reach for the dishes scattered across the table, but Chakotay grabbed her hands and began to steer her in the direction of the couch.

"I'll clean up the dishes later," he promised. "Right now, you need to rest." Kathryn hovered next to Seven as he guided her to the couch, ready to jump in at a moment's notice to support her.

"Chakotay, I'm undamaged." She didn't sound at all convincing, prompting him to ignore her.

"No, you're tired, and you need to rest." As gently as possible, he forced her to sit down on the chaise and put up her feet. When she tried to sit up again, he gave her a firm look that spoke volumes and told her that she better stay where she was. Sighing, she sat back. The last thing she wanted to do was get in a fight with the Captain there.

Seven had to admit that after being on her feet all evening, it did feel nice to relax a little, even though she wanted nothing more than to show both Chakotay and the Captain that she was capable of taking care of herself without all their well-meaning hovering. The only thing she hated was the fact that she had to relax because her body was still recovering. She wanted to be able to choose if she wanted to sit down for a little while, not be forced to by situations out of her control. In all honesty, that was what bothered her the most about her current situation. She desired to be in control of her body and how it acted, which wasn't happening right now. Hopefully, she would only feel like this for a little while longer, and then things truly would be back to normal for her.

Chakotay pulled up a chair next to Seven and rested his hand on her leg. She looked down at his hand; for a second, she thought about pushing his hand away, but she was comforted by his touch and therefore decided to ignore it for the time being. For the time being, it didn't matter that the Captain was standing just a few feet away from them, no matter how improper it might be.

"I think I've overstayed my welcome," Kathryn remarked, instantly putting an end to the joyful evening the trio had shared.

"Kathryn, you don't have to leave," Chakotay argued in an attempt to keep her around for a little while longer.

"No, it's time for me to leave. I have an early start in the morning, and I still have some things to take care of before I call it a night." He could see in her eyes that there was no deterring her; she had it in her mind that it was time to leave. The last thing she wanted to do was cause Seven any more unintentional harm. It was clear that her impromptu visit and the fact that she stayed for dinner had worn the young woman out. She was glad to see that she was feeling better, but she could see that she still had some recovering to do before she was going to be back to her old self. Astrometrics would have to survive without her for a little while longer. "Seven, the hamburgers were delicious," she complimented as she put a hand on Seven's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She could easily feel her bones jutting out beneath her shirt, reminding her of all the weight she'd lost while stuck on that planet. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Thank you for joining us." Chakotay got to his feet to walk Kathryn to the door like the good host he was. At the door, she wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back reassuringly, silently telling him that there was no need for him to worry. Before pulling away, she paused and cupped his face in her hand.

"Make sure you take care of yourself," she ordered gently. He was so focused on himself, and her biggest fear was that just when he was starting to get back to his old self, he'd fall to pieces once again.

"I will," he promised. She smiled and patted his cheek gently before stepping back. She nodded at Seven to say goodbye before disappearing out the door and heading back to her quarters. She had only intended to stop by for half an hour at the very most, not for dinner and socializing, which put her a little behind on her work for the evening, but she was used to late nights, as long as she had some coffee.

Once Kathryn was gone, Chakotay turned his attention back to Seven, who was still lounged across the chaise. While some of the color had returned to her face, she looked absolutely worn out from cooking and entertaining the Captain for dinner. Bracing himself against the edge of the chaise, he leaned over and kissed her cheek softly.

"I'm going to clean up from dinner, okay?"

"That's fine." She even sounded tired. He smoothed her hair back from her face and ran his fingertip along her jaw. "I'm just going to rest." He expected as much from her. With one last affectionate look, he stood up and went to clean up the dishes.

As she watched Chakotay clean up from dinner, Seven remembered last time they'd shared a meal together like this in his quarters right before they left on the disastrous away mission. Everything about that night had been wonderful; they'd shared a delicious meal, playfully cleaned up together and then had a spectacular night together in bed. It had been the best night of her life, and she wanted nothing more than to repeat it again. Given the fact that she was so exhausted after doing something as simple as cooking dinner, she doubted another evening like that would happen for a while, no matter how much she wanted it to happen again. Some things were worth waiting for, so, in a way, she didn't mind waiting.

Chakotay finished washing the dishes and did his best to dry his hands before returning to Seven's side. His hands were still slightly damp, prompting him to wipe them on his pants as he sat down next to her, precariously perched on the edge of the chaise while he rubbed her leg reassuringly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I think I am ready to go to bed." There were no complaints on his part. After a long day on the bridge, he was ready to call it a night as well, despite the fact that it was still fairly early.

"Me too." He paused for a moment. "Do you need help getting to bed?"

"I am capable of getting to bed by myself," she replied in a slightly annoyed tone as she stood up. Despite her assurances, he held on to her arm tightly to help stabilize her. She teetered back and forth for a few moments before she gained her footing and broke free of his grip and slowly walked towards the bedroom. Even though Seven insisted she was fine, he could help but hover behind her, ready at a moment's notice to grab a hold of her if she couldn't make it to the bedroom in one piece, although once she got moving, she seemed fine.

When they got to the bedroom, Chakotay rushed ahead to adjust the blankets on what was starting to become Seven's side of the bed, a realization that he found oddly comforting. She smiled at him gratefully as she climbed into bed, and he immediately pulled up the blankets around her before going to change into his pajamas. As soon as he climbed into bed next to her, she rolled over and rested her head on his chest. It felt so second nature to her, as if their bodies were meant to be together like this. His arm slid around her, holding her close, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I'm glad that you were up and moving around today," he said as he stared at the ceiling above him. "But I hope you didn't wear yourself out."

"All I need is some rest, and I will be fine," she assured. "Thank you for your concern."

"It's my job as your boyfriend to look after you." The word boyfriend caught her completely unprepared. She propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I just didn't know that you considered yourself my boyfriend." One Chakotay's arms draped along the top of his head while the other rubbed her arm gently.

"Of course I am, or at least I hope I am. Does it bother you"

"No, of course not," Seven quickly assured with a shake of her head. "I just hadn't had the time to research the next steps in our relationship or discuss their parameters with you. It caught me unprepared." In all honesty, she'd been mentally referring to Chakotay as her boyfriend for some time now without even realizing it. In a way, it comforted her knowing that he felt the same way about her.

"So does the change in our relationship status bother you?" A beautiful smile spread across her face as she shook her head and kissed him softly.

"No," she replied. When she pulled away, however, he could see that something was bothering her, even in the limited lighting.

"Then what's on your mind?" he asked as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing." She laid back down and settled back in Chakotay's arms, prompting him to mindlessly comb his fingers through her hair. He wasn't buying it, not for a second. He could tell that something was wrong based on the look in her eyes and the stiff way she was laying with him, despite his attempts to get her to relax. There was something still on her mind.

" _Muñeca_ ," he pleaded. She sighed. She should have known better than try and keep something from him.

"I am bothered by the Captain's behavior at dinner," she finally admitted.

"The Captain's behavior?" he repeated with a chuckle. As far as he could tell, Kathryn's behavior had been perfectly normal at dinner. She'd been her usual cheerful self, teasing him and engaging in jovial, upbeat conversation. While most members of the crew never saw that side of her, Chakotay was quite familiar with it, so that might explain why Seven felt unnerved by Kathryn's laid back attitude with them. She had been acting like she normally did when she didn't have to worry about anything going on onboard _Voyager_. So often, people forgot that she was human just like the rest of them.

"Not once did she comment on us. I thought that she would want to discuss the logistics of our relationship."

"Logistics?" His chest rumbled as he chuckled at the notion. "What logistics?"

"You are my superior, according to Starfleet regulation-" Chakotay rolled over to face her properly and pressed his finger to her lips to silence her. He should have anticipated such a conversation to eventually pop up, but Seven, as always, was overthinking things.

"Forget Starfleet regulation. I've already talked to Kathryn about our relationship, and there's nothing we need to worry about. She was slightly displeased that we didn't tell her about it sooner, but other than that, everything is fine."

"You are willing to forgo Starfleet regulations?" He shrugged. He knew there was some sort of Starfleet regulation that had to do with dating superiors on the same ship, but since they were still tens of thousands of lightyears from Federation space, he wasn't exactly worried about it. Besides, technically neither of them were official Starfleet officers.

"I simply can't handle any disciplinary actions pertaining to you, which I don't think will be a problem. This isn't the first time a First Officer has had a relationship with a crewman on a Starfleet ship." Confusion flashed across her face. As thorough as her research had been, she never bothered to look in the Starfleet records to see if others had had a relationship similar to theirs.

"Explain."

"Are you familiar with Commander Riker?"

"I have come across his name in Starfleet files over the years, but I have never researched his personal life."

"Well, Commander Riker is a First Officer on the _Enterprise_ , and his ex-girlfriend, Deanna, was the ship's counselor. It was a similar situation to ours, and it wasn't a big deal for them, so it isn't one for us either." Knowing that there were others in Starfleet in whose relationship had started out similarly to theirs made Seven feel more relaxed. It was reassuring to know that she wasn't alone when it came to having feelings for the First Officer of a ship; it told her that she hadn't done anything wrong. "Feel better now?"

"Yes, that is quite reassuring." Satisfied, she laid back down and resumed her previous position with her head on his chest. He kept a tight grip around her, holding her close with his cheek against the top of her head. He was glad she felt better, especially since this felt so natural to both of them.

Chakotay rolled over and blindly groped for Seven. Even though they'd only shared a bed a handful of times, he was already starting to grow accustomed to waking up to a warm body next to him. When his hand stretched out across the bed in his half asleep state, however, he found that he was alone. The realization was enough to immediately jolt him awake. Not only was the bed empty, but the sheets were cold, telling him that he had been alone for a while.

"Seven?" he called as he climbed out of bed and padded into the main room to see if she was there. As far as he could tell, she wasn't. When he returned to the bedroom, he found the pajamas Seven had been wearing folded neatly at the end of the bed. "Computer, is Seven of Nine located in these quarters?" Although he already knew the answer, he still felt compelled to ask. The computer beeped as it analyzed his quarters and scanned for Seven.

"Negative." The answer wasn't what he wanted to hear. His heart sank all the way to his feet when he realized that Seven was gone, and he had no idea where she was.

 **Author's Note:** I hope you liked it! Leave me a review and let me know.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Seven's hands flew across the console as she analyzed the information on the screen, almost working automatically without her having to think about it. After two weeks of being away from Astrometrics, there was an overabundance of work that needed to be done, and she was having trouble determining where to start. While she could tell that Icheb had done an admirable job at keeping up on the work without her, she still needed to bring herself up to speed on all the information _Voyager_ collected during her absence. Astrometrics wasn't the type of job one could simply "take a break" from, and now she had to figure out a way to wrap her mind around all the old informatino while staying on top of the new scans. It would take her quite some time to do so, and she figured she might as well start right now.

At first, it hadn't been Seven's intention to come down to Astrometrics. After resting for the majority of the day, she woke up in the middle of the night feeling wide awake. She considered sitting around Chakotay's quarters and reading a book or watching a movie, but both options seemed highly inefficient, especially after spending the majority of the past few days sitting around and basically doing nothing. She also didn't want to risk waking Chakotay, who needed his sleep to perform his duties as First Officer. When she woke up, he looked so relaxed asleep next to her, and it broke her heart to think about waking him up to keep her company during her dout of insomnia, although she knew he would gladly do so without a single complaint. When she looked at his face, she could see all the stress he carried as First Officer of the starship melt away as he was finally able to relax. She didn't want to wake him up and subject him to that stress, so she instead pulled on one of her bodysuits and came down to Astrometrics to sneak in a little bit of work. With any luck, she'd be back in bed before Chakotay even knew she was gone after accomplishing some work for the first time in what felt like ages.

Weeks' worth of information scrolled across the large Astrometrics screen. Thankfully, Seven's higher mental capacity, she was able to process the information much quicker than most, but it was still a lot of information to go through. She was so wrapped up in scrutinizing every small detail of the information, that she didn't hear the doors to Astrometrics slide open and closed once again, indicating that she was no longer alone.

"You know, I thought the Doctor told you you couldn't return to duty yet," Chakotay stated, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. Wide eyed, she spun around to face him. All she needed to do was look at his expression for half a second to know that he wasn't happy with her late night adventure. He stood on the other side of the computer console with his feet planted shoulder width apart and his arms crossed over his chest. It was a stance usually reserved for reprimanding members of the crew.

"I couldn't sleep."

"So you find a way to entertain yourself. You read a book, watch a movie, relax a little. Hell, you wake me up and talk to me." His voice unintentionally rose with emotion as he tried to process what went through her mind to justify sneaking off in the middle of the night, scaring him half to death in the process. He reached behind her and turned off the screen, instantly putting an end to her late night clandestine attempt to get some work done.

"You require sleep, you have to get up to report to duty in approximately two hours," Seven pointed out bluntly, although her argument was rather useless as he was awake and wandering around the ship anyway.

"I'd rather be tired than wake up and have five years taken off my life when you're not in bed next to me and nowhere to be found."

"Well, you obviously found me, so now we can both return to bed." She really didn't see what the big deal was, _Voyager_ was a finite space, there were only so many places she could be. Sam didn't worry when she let Naomi run around the starship, so there was no need for him to worry either.

"You're missing the point, Seven." He sounded like he was starting to get annoyed with her nonchalant attitude, but she didn't care. As a grown woman, she was free to make her own decisions. "If something happened to you, nobody knew you were here. It could have been hours until you were found, and that could have been a serious problem. I don't think you understand the severity of the situation."

"Of course I do," she snapped. If Chakotay was going to be difficult and hard headed right now, then she could return the favor. Besides, he was overreacting, nothing was going to happen to her.

"Then what could be so damn important that you put your health on the line _and_ violate a direct order from the Captain and the Doctor?" he demanded. "If I had half a mind, I'd put a formal reprimand in your file." It was an empty threat and both of them knew it. Seven's usually clear blue eyes were stormy with anger as she squared her shoulder and looked him dead in the eye.

"You can't do that. You just told me last night that you cannot handle any disciplinary actions pertaining to me," she challenged defiantly in an attempt to put him in his place.

"You're missing the point!" His voice echoed off the high ceilings of the Astrometrics lab, making it seem far louder than it actually was. Usually he was so calm, even when angry, so Seven knew she'd definitely pushed some buttons this time, but she had no regrets. She wanted to get some work done, and that was exactly what she did. "Why are you putting your health on the line like this?"

"I came to catch up on some work," she replied.

"Work?" he scoffed, not believing he heard her correctly. "Of all the things you can risk your health on, you're going to risk it because of work. Could you be any more reckless?"

"It wasn't my intention to be reckless, it was my intention to be efficient." Now that the floodgates were open, the words just tumbled out freely and without any sign of stopping. "I spent the majority of the away mission sick and unable to help in any capacity but instead hindering any rescue attempts and being a burden to everyone else." Chakotay opened his mouth to argue against that, but she continued with her hand held up to silence him, "Please, let me speak. Then I get back to _Voyager_ and spend a week unconscious in sickbay, so obviously I wasn't doing my job then. I wake up, and I'm told I cannot report to duty for several more days. I've never had a day off in my life, Chakotay, not since before I was assimilated, and I don't remember any of that. I cannot sit still in your quarters, and to ask me to do so is tantamount to torture." Seven knew she was being overdramatic, but she desperately needed to get her point across. There was no way she could simply sit around and do nothing all day. Most crewmen on the ship would welcome some time off, but it went against everything she believed in and was terribly inefficient. Despite her exhaustion, she simply couldn't sit around anymore or she was sure she'd lose her mind.

Seven's outburst caused Chakotay's gaze to immediately softened, and he felt his frustration slowly melt away into nothingness. While he knew she was restless, anyone with eyes could see that, he had no idea she was struggling so much. He'd been completely oblivious to something that was right under his nose, and now he felt awful. She should have known that this would have been a struggle for her.

"I had no idea," he openly admitted, his voice soft and his eyes downcast in shame. "And I'm sorry about that. I should have been more aware of how you were feeling."

"I don't blame you, I didn't tell you."

"What can I do to help you?" She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off. "Besides letting you return to duty." She glowered as she tried to think of an answer to his question.

"I don't know," she replied. "I want to return to duty." She knew it was a shot in the dark, but she had to at least ask. She knew she couldn't sit around and wait for the Doctor to give her the all clear to return to duty.

"In a few days," he promised, although technically it was the Doctor, not him, who would ultimately make that call. "Now, let's get back to my quarters." He slid an arm around her waist and guided her towards the door. There was a certain forcefulness behind his action, telling her that it was an order veiled as a suggestion. With a combination of desperation and pleading in her eyes, she glanced back at her beloved Astrometrics lab, wondering when she'd finally be able to return to it on a full time basis. At least she would only be gone for a few more days at the very most and had gotten a glimpse at what she'd missed; it gave her a small sense of what she needed to get done when she finally came back. She could use that information to get a little bit of work done in Chakotay's quarters while he was was on duty himself, so this little endeavor hadn't been a complete waste.

By the time Chakotay returned to his quarters with Seven, he was wide awake. He knew that there was no chance of him falling back asleep before having to return to work, so it wasn't even worth trying. Instead, he guided Seven to the couch and took a seat next to her. A confused look flashed across her face.

"You're not returning to bed?" she asked.

"I think it's more important that we talk." Her gaze fell to her hands in her lap.

"You're displeased with me." Now she had to deal with the fact that Icheb and Chakotay, the two most important men in her life, were mad at her, and she had to find a way to make amends with both of them.

"No, I'm displeased with myself," he countered, which caught her off guard. "I was completely oblivious to the fact that you were feeling frustrated. I've been asking you how you've been feeling physically, but I haven't asked you how you've been emotionally." He draped his arm along the back of the couch and ran the back of his finger along a loose strand of hair. He loved it when she wore her hair down and wished she'd do it more often; it gave her a more casual, friendly appearance. "I had no idea you were so upset. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was unsure how to bring up the subject. I just want to feel useful."

"You are useful, _muñeca_ , but you won't be if you end up in sickbay again, which is exactly what might happen if the Doctor finds out. That would mean no more laying around on these less than comfortable couches, no more home cooked meals fresh from a replicator-"

"No more waking up to you snoring in the middle of the night," she interjected.

"I don't snore," Chakotay argued, pretending to be hurt. There was a playful tone to his voice that told her that he giving her a hard time.

"How would you know? You're asleep." She had an excellent point there. He had no idea if he snored or not; it wasn't something he ever thought about. Nobody had ever brought it up before though. "Don't worry, I find it...intriguing."

"Intriguing?" He raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Perhaps that was the wrong word to use."

"No, it's fine, but we're digressing. I'll talk to the Captain this morning about transferring some of the data from Astrometrics here so you can catch up on some work." The suggestion immediately caused her eyes to light up with excitement at the possibility of getting some work done. Even if she wasn't allowed to return to her Astrometrics lab, she'd at least be able to get something done around here. "But you still need to _rest_ , that's your main focus right now. I wouldn't be able to handle it if something were to happen to you." Now it was Seven's turn to inquire after Chakotay's welfare. She hadn't taken the time to think about the lasting impact the entire ordeal had had on him. She cupped his face in her hand and ran her thumb over his tanned skin.

"I apologize for causing you distress." He put his hand over hers and held it in place as he turned his head to kiss her palm softly. "It wasn't my intention."

"I don't blame you," he murmured, his lips tickling her soft skin, causing her to instinctively curl her fingers slightly. "I was just so afraid when I woke up, and you weren't there. I thought the past two days had been another dream, and you were still in sickbay." He sighed. It sounded pretty pathetic when he said it aloud, but it had been one of the thoughts that crossed his mind when he couldn't find her. Seven leaned forward and kissed him.

"I can assure you, I am not a dream," she whispered as she pulled away to see a smile plastered across his face.

"No, you certainly aren't, and I'm forever grateful for that." She smiled as well. There was something about him that made her constantly want to smile. No matter what he said and did, he always managed to make her happy, it was one of the reasons she enjoyed spending time with him. No matter what her mood, he always seemed to cheer her up.

Unable to resist, Seven ran her fingers across Chakotay's hair and slid closer to him so their thighs were pressed together. Even in the limited light, she could see streaks of silver littered across his usually jet black hair. Those streaks had always been there, but they seemed more prominent than usual tonight.

"Your hair is greying," she pointed out bluntly, as she was never one to beat around the bush.

"It's from waking up and finding you missing." Her face immediately fell, as his teasing tone was lost on her this time around.

"I had no intention of causing that."

"It's a saying." She looked confused. "Humans joke that stress causes their hair to turn grey. It's not really stress, I'm just old."

"You're not old," Seven insisted. She leaned forward to kiss him softly. "I think you're perfect." He couldn't help but smile as he kissed her again. When it came to her, he knew that that was the highest compliment she could ever give him, so he should think of it as an honor.

"I think you're perfect as well." Now it was her turn to smile. "Despite the fact that you sneak off in the middle of the night to do some work." He took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze that told her that he didn't bring that up to be cruel but instead as a small joke. Neither of them were tired any longer, which meant they could enjoy spending a quiet morning together until he had to leave for duty. In a way, Seven sneaking off was a blessing in disguise.

Just like clockwork, Chakotay entered Kathryn's ready room for his usual morning cup of coffee and debriefing for the day; if anything, he was predictable when it came to his morning routine, despite the fact the fact that Seven was currently staying with him. She immediately picked up how tired he looked, which was strange because she thought he was going to bed early last night after she left his quarters.

"Long night?" she teased. Sighing, he threw himself down on the couch next to her and immediately grabbed his cup of coffee. Just as he'd predicted, he didn't end up going back to sleep after the little misadventure down in Astrometrics. He had no regrets, as it was more important to clear the air with Seven, but now he was paying the price with his extreme exhaustion.

"Well, I woke up a few hours ago and haven't been back to sleep since."

Concerned, Kathryn leaned forward and asked, "Is Seven alright?"

"Oh she's fine," he assured before taking another long drink of coffee in the hopes of waking him up. "She just went down to Astrometrics to sneak in a little bit of work. The only problem was she didn't tell me, so I rolled over in bed-"

"And she was gone." He nodded. This didn't surprise Kathryn at all. In fact, she was surprised it took Seven this long to sneak off in the middle of the night. "Is she alright now?"

"We got in a little fight, but she's back in my quarters now, and we're both fine. I told her that I would talk to you about transferring some of the data from Astrometrics to my quarters for her to review. It won't be the same as reporting to duty, but it might be enough to keep her off her feet for a little while longer." Kathryn carefully thought over the request. While she wasn't a doctor, she didn't see anything wrong with this. If anything, it might do Seven some good and remove the temptation to sneak off in the middle of the night in the future.

"Fine," she relented. "But as long as you can assure me that she'll stay off her feet and continue to rest. Oh, and run it by the Doctor before you go down to Astrometrics. He'll get upset if we make this decision without him."

"Aye, Captain." In actuality, Chakotay had absolutely no idea how he could guarantee that Seven would relax, but he hoped that the ability to do some work might keep her distracted and off her feet. He drained his coffee with surprising speed and got to his feet.

"Where are you going?"

"To sickbay and to talk to Icheb about transferring some of the data from Astrometrics to my quarters before the duty shift starts." The duty shift was about to start, so he knew he was going to be late anyway. He still wanted to head over now before he got distracted by everything else that usually took up his time during the day and forgot, which could possibly result in Seven getting restless and heading down to Astrometrics on her own once again.

When Chakotay entered sickbay, the Doctor was nowhere to be seen. Just to be sure, he poked his head in his office and in the back portion of sickbay, but he appeared to be offline for the night, which meant that there hadn't been any medical emergencies during the gamma shift, which was definitely a good sign.

"Computer, activate the Emergency Medical Hologram," he ordered. The computer beeped as it complied. In the blink of an eye, the Doctor materialized in front of him.

"Please state the nature of...Commander!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Is everything alright? When I saw Seven yesterday, everything looked fine." The Doctor couldn't figure out what Chakotay was doing there, he wasn't the type of person who just stopped by to talk to him for no reason.

"Seven's fine," Chakotay assured. "The Captain wanted me to talk to you before any decision was made." Now the Doctor was confused, prompting him to continue. "Seven's feeling restless and even tried to sneak in a little bit of work in Astrometrics." The Doctor looked unamused, but he wasn't necessarily surprised; he knew how Seven was and how much she hated wasting time. It didn't surprise him at all that she was trying to sneak in a little bit of work when she thought no one was paying attention.

"Are you asking for me to medically clear her to return to duty?" he asked. "Because that isn't something I can do. She needs to rest."

"Oh I agree. She made dinner last night and was exhausted afterwards. She can't return to duty yet, but I was thinking we could transfer some of the information from Astrometrics to my quarters so she can catch up on work from there. It might be enough to keep her occupied and off her feet for a little while longer." The Doctor carefully contemplated the suggestion. While he was sure there was no way he could medically clear her to return to duty, this seemed like a reasonable request.

"As long as she is resting as much as possible. I don't want her running down to Astrometrics to talk to Icheb about every anomaly she finds."

"Trust me, that won't be an issue," Chakotay commented dryly. The pair weren't even speaking right now, but perhaps getting Seven back to work would be enough to clear the air between them and help them overcome this disagreement. "Thank you, Doctor."

"I'll stop by your quarters sometime this afternoon to check on her." He nodded as he turned to leave. He expected as much from him. In a way, the Doctor's little house calls were the one reason he wasn't running down to his quarters at every available moment because he knew someone was checking in on her wellbeing.

As he headed down to the Astrometrics lab, Chakotay realized that he had no idea what to say to Icheb, as there was no doubt in his mind that he was displeased with him as well. He knew the young man was still angry with Seven over the perceived slight, but he would have to find a way to put that to the side and help him out for her sake. Despite how he felt, he knew that Icheb would do just about anything for Seven, which was something he'd made abundantly clear in the past given his willingness to put his own life on the line for her. If he was willing to do that, then he should be willing to help out right now.

When Chakotay entered Astrometrics, Icheb was already there. This didn't surprise him. Just like Seven, the young man had a penchant for promptness, which she only reinforced when she was around to give him orders. It looked like he had just arrived, as he was turning on the consoles and getting everything set up for the day.

"Commander," he greeted with a curt nod. His tone was ice cold and told Chakotay that he didn't want anything to do with him, which was only furthered by the cold, hard stare he gave him. "You can tell the Captain that I will have the report about the nebula we are approaching ready by 1300 hours. I am afraid that that is as quickly as I can get it to her."

"I'm not here about the nebula, Icheb. I'm here about Seven." Despite the fact that he was still upset with her, Icheb's gaze immediately softened when he heard why Chakotay was there, telling him that he still had a soft spot for his mentor.

"Is she alright? Is she back in sickbay?" There was the faintest glimmer of hope in his second question that gave away the fact that he wasn't happy with her current living situation. Chakotay ignored the glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"She's fine," he assured. "She's back in my quarters."

"Oh." He looked and sounded disappointed, not because Seven was alright, which was a huge relief to him, but because she was still residing in Chakotay's quarters and not returning back to the cargobay. Not only did he think that the living arrangement was highly inappropriate for a commanding officer and a subordinate, but he was still angry that their relationship had been kept from him as long as it had been. "Then why are you here?" The question could be construed as insubordinate and disrespectful, especially given the tone, but Chakotay wasn't going to make matters worse by pointing that it. No matter how serious and professional Icheb may appear on the outside, it was important for him to remember he was dealing with a highly emotional teenage boy who felt slighted by the secret kept from him. When Chakotay thought back to his teenage years, he was just as difficult on a more regular basis. It was a wonder his father did ship him off to the furthest corner of the galaxy just to get rid of him and save him the trouble of having to deal with him.

"I want you to transfer the results of the scans from the past two weeks to my quarters for Seven to review."

"I was under the impression that she wasn't allowed to return to duty yet," Icheb challenged, once again getting dangerously close to insubordination but not quite crossing that line.

"She isn't, but she's getting restless, and I'm afraid that if she doesn't find something to keep her occupied, she's going to keep trying to return to duty before she should." Confusion flashed across Icheb's face. While he'd been able to keep up with Chakotay's logic up until now, now he wasn't sure what was going on.

"Explain."

"She snuck into Astrometrics this morning. She's fine, but she simply doesn't have the energy to perform her duty here, but I'm hoping that if she has the reports in my quarters, that will be enough to keep her busy and off her feet." Icheb had to admit that the First Officer's thinking made sense to him, even though he still didn't think very highly of him right now.

"Her ability to work will be limited," he pointed out.

"That's fine. It's better than nothing."

"I can start transferring the data shortly.'

"Thank you." Much to Icheb's chagrin, Chakotay didn't leave. Not only did he have a lot of work to do, but he was probably the last person he wanted to talk to right now.

"Is there something else you would like to discuss, because I have a lot of work to get done?"

"Actually, there is," Chakotay replied as he leaned casually against the platform that took up a large portion of Astrometrics and cross his arms over his chest. "I want to apologize for not keeping you in the loop about Seven's condition. I'm not going to make any excuses, because I don't have any. I was caught up in the moment and didn't stop to think about your feelings. If I were in your shoes, I would be furious as well."

"You're First Officer, you don't have to justify your actions to me," Icheb snapped as he kept his eyes glued to the console in front of him.

"I'm not coming to you as First Officer but as a friend. What I did was wrong, and if I could go back in time to fix it, I would."

"Does Seven feel the same way?"

"I can't speak for her, only myself, but I can tell you that she doesn't like fighting with any of her friends. Why don't you stop by to talk to her?"

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet." While Icheb could tell that Chakotay was genuine in his apology, he still wasn't ready to talk to Seven yet and try to make amends with her as well. He still felt betrayed by her actions, whether that was her intention or not. Not only did she keep her romantic relationship with the Commander from him, but she also didn't tell him that she was out of sickbay.

"That's fine. Let me know when you've finished transferring those files."

"Yes, Sir." Sensing that Icheb wanted his space, Chakotay left him to his work. He was glad they had had this conversation, although he wasn't entirely sure how much good it had done, as Icheb still didn't want to talk to Seven. With any luck, the animosity would continue to dissipate over the next few days, and the two of them would go back to how things had been.

That afternoon, Seven was on cloud nine with all the information transferred onto her PADDs from Astrometrics. The quick glimpse of the information that morning hadn't been enough for her to do anything productive. With all the information available to her now, she could be far more efficient. While it wasn't the same as actually being in Astrometrics, she knew it was going to be the best she would get for the time being, so she might as well be as productive as possible. Unfortunately, the doorbell rang, instantly dashing all hopes of productivity for the time being.

Feeling frustrated, Seven abandoned her work and tossed her PADD to the side. She figured she should take a break anyway, she'd been working for a few hours, and Chakotay had made her promise that she would relax in addition to getting some work done. She was starting to feel a little fatigued as well, but she attributed that to her early morning adventure and lack of sleep since then to compensate for it.

"Come in," she called before the visitor rang the doorbell again. She had no idea who could be visiting; Chakotay had already been by for lunch, and the Doctor left ages ago. There was nobody else she figured would want to visit her. Therefore, it caught her off guard when Aritlin entered the quarters. When she saw her guest, she immediately stood up. Wide-eyed, Aritlin looked around, taking in his surroundings. With the exception of the quarters designated to him, he hadn't been in any other quarters on _Voyager_ and therefore had no idea what to expect. "Artilin," she greeted.

"Uhh, hi," he stammered. He caught sight of the PADDs scattered across the couch and coffee table and instantly knew he had interrupted something. "Is this a bad time?" She followed his gaze to all the PADDs she'd temporarily set to the side.

"No," she assured. "I was catching up on my work. You are not interrupting anything." Realizing it was rude to leave her guest standing, she motioned towards the chairs scattered throughout the sitting area. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you." Aritlin scurried over to one of the empty chairs and had a seat, prompting Seven to have a seat as well. An uncomfortable silence instantly fell over both of them. She couldn't figure out why he was here. She had only seen him once, several days ago in sickbay, and she had very little interest in talking with him, not because she held any animosity towards him, but because she didn't know what to say to him.

"Is there a reason you're here?" she finally blurted out. The bluntness caught him off guard. He wasn't used to someone just saying what was on her mind, as was Seven's typical method of conversation.

"I wanted to apologize for what happened to you," he replied uncertainly. Seven felt confused. She didn't hold anything against Aritlin, and it hadn't been her intention to make him think that she did. She'd learned long ago not to hold grudges against individuals for what their species did, and based on what Chakotay told her, Aritlin was doing his best to compensate for his people's' mistakes.

"Explain," she stated as she raised her implant encrusted eyebrow. Once again, he was surprised by her bluntness, but he had been warned by several other members of the crew that she tended to speak like that and he shouldn't take it personally.

"You almost died, and it was because of me and my people."

"Did you send out the distress call that summoned us to your planet?"

"No."

"Did you steal my mobile regenerator from our shuttle?"

"No."

"Did you scrap my mobile regenerator for parts?" Aritlin felt like he was being interrogated, which wasn't how he planned on this conversation going, not that he had had much of a plan when he showed up here in the first place.

"No."

"Then I hardly see how you are to blame. You did nothing to damage me or my mobile regenerator. You were simply following the customs of your people, and I don't harbor any ill will towards you, especially given the fact that you risked your life to help us return to _Voyager_ safely. If anything, you have proven where your true allegiances lie." Despite the fact that Seven obviously forgave him, he still couldn't shake the guilt that consumed him. Had his people not stolen the mobile regenerator from her, she wouldn't have nearly died in the first place. All of it could have easily been prevented.

"But you almost died."

"I have been more seriously damaged in the past, and I survived those without any issue. There is no need for you to apologize, as it is not your fault."

"If it weren't for my people, none of this would have ever happened to you."

"And if it weren't for the Borg, billions of beings all across the galaxy would be alive and on their home planets," Seven pointed out. "If my time on _Voyager_ has taught me anything, it is that you cannot blame yourself for the actions of your people, the guilt will consume you. If the crew of this starship can accept me as a part of their ranks, then I can forgive you for what your people did." She paused. "I should be thanking you." Aritlin opened and closed his mouth several times as he tried to comprehend this conversation. This was an unexpected turn of events.

"I, I'm afraid I don't understand," he stammered uncertainly.

"Commander Chakotay told me that you warned them about Henan and Notaxi's deception, and that you attempted to return some of the stolen supplies. That was very admirable of you and undoubtedly a very difficult decision for you to make since you turned your back on your people and customs in the process. You risked a lot by doing that, and I would like to thank you for that. I am sure that Chakotay and the others wouldn't have gotten back to _Voyager_ without you."

"I just did what was right."

"Which is why I don't blame you for what happened. I don't hold grudges, and very few people on _Voyager_ do." Aritlin had started to realize that about the crew, although he figured as much given the fact that Seven was a former drone and welcome member of the crew. Despite the actions of his people, the entire crew had gone out of their way to make him feel welcome.

"Thank you." He sounded relieved that Seven didn't hold anything against him, it had been his greatest fear, as he had caused her more damage than any other member of the crew, even if it was indirectly through the actions of his people. A great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he felt that he was finally at peace.

Aritlin looked around the quarters, taking in all the colorful decorations that adorned the walls and the backs of the chairs. It was far more decorative than his utilitarian quarters tucked away on one of the lower decks that he shared with two other members of the crew. Unable to resist, he got up to analyze the artifacts Chakotay had collected from across the Delta Quadrant that sat on a nearby shelf. Seven felt herself grow edgy with him looking around, as she didn't want him to inadvertently damage any of the carefully curated items.

"Are these your quarters?" Artilin asked. He made sure not to touch anything, no matter how tempting it might be. He'd never seen pieces of pottery and other artifacts like this in his life and only wanted to get a closer look. The shelf held several shards of pottery, decorated with intricate black and red designs that wove around each other in ways he couldn't even begin to imagine. Next to the pottery pieces sat a strange statue of a creature he didn't recognize. It had six limbs that held it upright, three on either side of its rotund stomach, and its head tilted back revealing wide eyes and a tusk on either side of its face that curved down almost obscuring its mouth in the process.

"No, they're Commander Chakotay's," Seven replied as she got to her feet to keep a closer eye on him. Out of habit, her arms folded behind her back as she watch every move her visitor made, just to make sure he didn't damage anything. "I'm just staying here temporarily. My quarters aren't suitable for my recovery."

"He has quite a collection." He turned his attention to the large dream catcher that was approximately half a meter in diameter with a collection of large feathers dangling from leather straps.

"He is an anthropologist." With confusion on his face, Aritlin turned around to face her properly.

"Anthropologist?" He'd never heard that term before and had no idea what it meant.

"He studies various humanoid species and cultures."

"Ahhh, it makes sense that someone like that would elect to travel on a starship."

"Commander Chakotay's reasons for being on _Voyager_ are...complicated." There was no way Seven would discuss Chakotay's reasons for joining Starfleet and eventually the Maquis with someone she just met; she doubted she would feel comfortable discussing that private matter with members of the crew who had been onboard longer than her. It wasn't her story to tell, and she wanted to respect the fact that Chakotay was a fiercely private individual. "I do not mean to be rude, but I have a lot of work to do." Aritlin jumped slightly when he realized that he had inadvertantly overstayed his welcome.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Of course. I'm so sorry for intruding on your recovery. I just wanted to make sure you were alright and apologize."

"There is no need to apologize. Perhaps when I am able to return to duty, you can help me in the Astrometrics lab. You probably know a lot about this sector that could help us." A smile spread across Aritlin's face.

"I would love to." He wasn't sure how much help he could be, as his people never really left their planet, but he felt compelled to do something to help Seven. Now that he knew she was alright and held no ill will towards him, he felt he could relax a little and start to create a life for himself, just like Seven had when she first arrived.

By the time Chakotay returned to his quarters, dinner had long since passed. He hated the fact that he hadn't been back in time to eat with Seven, but when he talked to her, she had assured him that she was fine on her own. Just to be sure, he had Chell deliver a meal to her from the mess hall. The Bolian had been eager to make himself feel useful when he came to Seven's recovery and readily agreed to do just about anything Chakotay asked of him. He just hoped that she ate the food and had stayed off her feet as much as possible throughout the day. With any luck, the information from Astrometrics would keep her busy for quite some time.

When he entered his quarters, Chakotay found Seven lounged across the chaise with various PADDs scattered across her lap and spilling onto the floor. Unable to resist himself, he snaked his arm around her shoulders from behind and buried his face in her hair, which hung down around her shoulders. The past few days, she hadn't put her hair up, and he hoped she kept that up when she returned to duty.

"Hello, beautiful," he murmured tenderly before kissing her cheek. Usually she hated being interrupted when she was trying to work, but there was no way she could be upset when it was Chakotay who interrupted her. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine. How was your day?" He released her and sat on the chair across from her.

"There was a problem down in Engineering, which is why I'm late. I'm sorry." Seven put down the PADD in her hand. Now that Chakotay was back, she wanted to spend time with him, not with her work. It was a strange phenomenon for her, she was so used to dedicating all her time to work, but it was something she felt confident she would eventually grow accustomed to. Her priorities were changing for the better.

"Don't apologize," she assured. "I was kept busy with all the work from Astrometrics that Icheb sent over."

"I can see that."

"Icheb has done an admirable job at running Astrometrics on his own. He should be commended for his work." He heard the disappointment in her voice, it was impossible for her to mask it. She still missed him and the close bond they shared.

"I spoke to him this morning, and he's still bitter about what happened."

"He is being irrational." Chakotay leaned forward with his arms draped across his knees.

"No, he's not. He's hurt, Seven, he wants to feel like he's a valued part of your life."

"Of course he is."

"Then tell him that yourself."

"I will, but not now," Seven announced as she got to her feet. "Right now I need to go." Her announcement was enough to get Chakotay on his feet as well.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I want to meet with the Captain about something. I waited for you to return so you didn't worry if you came back to find your quarters empty."

"About what? Why doesn't she come here?"

"What the Captain and I are meeting about is irrelevant to you. I will be back shortly." She started to walk towards the door, but he quickly headed her off, putting himself between her and her exit. "Is something wrong?" she asked as she raised her eyebrow in confusion and slight frustration.

"You've had a long day, I don't know if a trip to the Captain's quarters is a good idea," he pointed out. While he had no idea how much rest she'd gotten today, he wasn't sure if it was in her best interest to go traipsing all over _Voyager_ like this.

"The Captain's quarters are located nearby, it is no more than a one minute walk. I walked further when I went to Astrometrics this morning."

"I know." He sounded unamused when she brought up her little adventure from earlier. He was still frustrated with her total lack of empathy towards her personal health, even if he understood his reasoning behind it. "What if I walk you there?"

"I do not require a babysitter, I am more than capable of walking to the Captain's quarters on my own."

"Seven," he pleaded with desperation. She felt bad knowing that she was the cause of that desperation in his voice, but she had already made up her mind, and this was a time sensitive issue she wanted to discuss. In all honesty, it was something that she had completely forgotten about until her conversation with Chakotay early that morning, and now she needed to act on it before time ran out.

"Do you not trust me?"

"Of course I do." He rubbed her arms reassuringly. "I'm just worried about you." She kissed him softly. He returned the kiss, but it was over just as quickly as it started. She trailed her finger along his jaw softly.

"Then let me go to the Captain's quarters. I'll be back in about an hour, I promise." He sighed. He didn't want to coddle her, based on what had happened that morning, it would only cause her to act recklessly. On the other hand, she had a habit of pushing herself beyond her limits, but a walk down to Kathryn's quarters wasn't too bad.

"Fine," he relented hesitantly. "Just be careful."

"Are you worried that we'll go into Red Alert in the next five minutes?" It was always a challenge for Chakotay to tell when Seven was joking, as her tone was always so deadpan. The sparkle in her blue eyes told him that she was joking. He kissed her cheek softly, and she pulled away and left.

As she walked to the Captain's quarters, Seven couldn't help but think that she should have talked to the Captain ahead of time. It was highly improper to just show up in the Captain's quarters unannounced. She was a very busy woman, and there was no guarantee that she'd even be there or have time to talk to her. Even so, Seven knew she couldn't turn back now, not after all the trouble Chakotay gave her about coming here n the first place. She would simply have to show up and hope that the Captain wasn't too busy to see her.

With the bridge under the watchful eye of "Captain Kim", Kathryn felt confident that she should be able to retire to her quarters at a fairly early hour without any problems. Therefore, when her doorbell rang, she felt a flicker of disappointment swell up inside of her, although she knew that if it was a real emergency, whoever it was would have summoned her over the commsystem. For that reason, she felt that it couldn't be too much of an emergency and maybe someone just stopping by for a quick social call, which wasn't completely unheard of.

"Come in," she called as she crossed her quarters to greet whoever her visitor was. When the doors to her quarters opened, she was caught off guard to see Seven breeze into her quarters with her arms folded neatly behind her back in her usual stance.

"Captain," she greeted with a curt nod. It wasn't until she was in the Captain's quarters did she realize that Kathryn had shed her outer uniform tunic and grey undershirt, leaving her only in a sleeveless shirt and her slacks. It was the most informal she'd ever seen her. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, of course not," Kathryn assured. "I always have time for you. I was about to replicate myself some ice cream. What kind would you like?"

"I do not require any ice cream right now," Seven replied. The Captain ignored her as she crossed her quarters to the replicator, which readily produced her favorite: coffee ice cream.

"I didn't ask you what kind of ice cream you require, I asked you what kind of ice cream you want." Seven knew that it would be best to simply give in to what the Captain asked and join her for some ice cream. It wouldn't be the end of the world to have one small bowl of ice cream.

"Strawberry please." Kathryn looked satisfied as she replicated a second bowl. With a bowl in each hand, she returned to Seven and motioned for her to have a seat.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." Seven immediately took a seat. While she was starting to feel perfectly comfortable making herself at home in Chakotay's quarters, being in the Captain's quarters was entirely different. She knew the Senior Officers congregated here frequently here for small social gatherings, but those were interactions she didn't participate in. Maybe she should start, as they always spoke very highly of them.

Kathryn sat on the couch next to Seven and handed her the bowl of strawberry ice cream. The younger woman took a small bite. Under Naomi's encouragement, she'd had ice cream in the past, but she didn't quite understand the appeal. Usually she found it too cold for her liking, but she didn't want to be disrespectful to her hostess.

"Chakotay told me that you went on a little adventure this morning," Kathryn commented between bites of ice cream.

"I felt inefficient just sitting around Commander Chakotay's quarters all day. I didn't think it would be a problem if I went down to Astrometrics. I only wanted to catch up on the work I missed. I understand if you have to put a formal reprimand in my file." Kathryn held up her hand to get her to stop. She could hear the disappointment in her voice and knew that a reprimand of any type in Seven's file would destroy her and her desire for absolute perfection at all costs.

"I'm not going to reprimand you, I'm simply going to tell you to make sure to take some time off. Coming from someone who rarely gets any time off, let me emphasize how important it is for you to have fun and enjoy yourself. Spend some time with Chakotay."

"That is why I am here. I need your help." Intrigued, Kathryn shifted in her seat and temporarily forgot about the ice cream in her hands.

"Of course, what can I do to help you?" Her brows furrowed in curiosity and seriousness as she tried to think of what Seven could possibly need her help for. It had been quite some time since she'd come to her seeking advice; she'd been doing so well adjusting to the idiosyncrasies of humanity on her own. So well, in fact, that she managed to start a serious romantic relationship with her First Officer right under her nose.

"Lieutenant Paris informed me on our away mission that Commander Chakotay's birthday is coming up soon." Kathryn stopped to think. With everything going on recently, she'd lost track of the days. Now that she thought about it, she realized that his birthday was soon.

"It's in about a week. Why?"

"It is my understanding that in romantic relationships, it is the job of the significant other to prepare some sort of special birthday surprise. As the Borg do not celebrate birthdays, and I am new to my status as Commander Chakotay's girlfriend, I was hoping you could offer some advice." Kathryn wasn't sure how to react to Seven's request. She was caught off guard to hear her refer to herself as Chakotay's girlfriend. Of course, she knew they were in a relationship together, and she couldn't be happier for them, but it was strange to hear her refer to herself in that manner. She was more than happy to adjust to, as it meant that two of her closest crew members had finally found happiness. On the other hand, there was a sense of formality that only Seven could add to the relationship. She made it sound more like a business arrangement, not a romantic relationship.

"You've had birthday parties here on _Voyager_ ," she pointed out. "Usually Chell is the one who handles those things."

"That is irrelevant. After everything that has happened over the past few weeks, I want to plan a party for Chakotay myself, but I don't know where to start."

"So you'd like my help."

"If you're not too busy."

"Of course I'm not too busy." Kathryn sat back and crossed her legs. As she collected her thoughts, she took another bite of ice cream. She tried to think of what Chakotay would like for his birthday. Normally, he was a very private man, but she knew that if Seven planned something for him, he would automatically love it. "Perhaps you could plan a surprise party for him. Something small in the mess hall. I'm sure Chell would be more than happy to help you create a menu of his favorite foods and bake him a cake." From her time on _Voyager_ , Seven was familiar with the notion of a surprise party. She thought that that would be the perfect way to celebrate Chakotay's birthday.

"I think a surprise party would be a sufficient way to celebrate the Commander's birthday. I am still struggling with a present for him. As it is the first major celebration in our relationship-"

"And you want it to be perfect."

"Exactly." Kathryn understood completely. She thought it was very sweet that Seven was this concerned about finding the perfect birthday present for Chakotay. He was a difficult person to shop for, something that was made more difficult by the fact that they were in the middle of the Delta Quadrant. Between the two of them, however, Kathryn felt confident that they would be able to think of something.

The following morning, Tom found himself reporting to duty in sickbay. As much as he liked the notoriety that came with having two vital roles on _Voyager_ , it was also absolutely exhausting. He was willing to do anything to help though, and he'd somehow managed to find a way to balance both jobs with fatherhood and a social life. While that meant he hardly slept, it wasn't anything massive amounts of coffee couldn't fix. Helping in sickbay also gave him the chance to interact with crewmen he very rarely got to see. There was an undeniable prestige that came with working on the bridge, it was also very isolating. It wasn't a place people came through on a regular basis, which meant he could go days on end working with the same handful of faces. On the other hand, he was always one of the first to know what was going on, which he had no complaints about.

The door to sickbay opened, and Seven entered, catching Tom off guard. To his knowledge, she was still recovering in Chakotay's quarters and was supposed to be resting. Yet, here she stood, with her arms folded behind her back in her usual fashion, as if she was stopping by on her way to Astrometrics.

"Seven!" Tom exclaimed in surprise, causing the Doctor to immediately scramble to his feet from behind his desk and rush out to greet her.

"Seven, are you alright?" he asked as he grabbed a tricorder and opened it to scan her.

"I am undamaged," she replied. "I'm actually here to talk to Lieutenant Paris."

"Me?" Tom asked in disbelief. He'd barely spoken to Seven since they returned to _Voyager_ , and he couldn't figure out what they had to talk about; it wasn't like they were close friends.

"Very well." The Doctor sounded disappointed that Seven wasn't there to see him. "Perhaps Lieutenant Paris could multitask and check your progress as well." He gave Tom a stern look that told him that it wasn't a suggestion but instead an order. Since Seven was here, he wanted to check her over and ensure she was recovering sufficiently, although every time he checked on her, she seemed to be progressing as could be expected.

Tom motioned for Seven to have a seat on one of the biobeds along the adjacent walls and picked up the tricorder the Doctor had just discarded and turned on the device. She sat dutifully on the biobed and allowed he to scan her, although she doubted the scan would reveal any new information.

"So what can I do for you?" he chirped as he kept his eyes locked on the tricorder, looking for any worrisome information, not that he was expecting any. For someone who had only been up and on her feet for a few days after nearly being on death's door, Tom had to admit that she looked pretty good.

"You are familiar with creating holodeck programs, correct?"

"I mean, I don't want to brag, but I've written some of the most popular programs on the holodeck." This wasn't new information to Seven. Despite her view that the holodeck was an inefficient use of time, she'd been to Chez Sandrine's several times over the years. She'd even seen his Fair Haven program. Although she didn't participate in that program like other crewmen did, she had to admit that it was a highly impressive program. Clearly, Tom was a man of many talents, including writing detailed and well-researched holoprograms.

"I was wondering if you could assist me in writing a holoprogram." The request caught Tom off guard. He knew Seven wasn't one to ask for help, she was a fiercely independent woman. He also knew that she was incredibly smart and capable of figuring out how to write a holoprogram on her own. For her to come to him told him that this was something important.

"I'd love to." He closed the tricorder and put it down on the biobed next to Seven.

"How about we meet on holodeck one at 2100 hours?" With any luck, Miral would be down for the night, and he would be able to sneak away for an hour or two to help. Seven smiled. It was strange for Tom to see her smile and know that he was the reason for her to do so. She was always so serious around him. She slid off the biobed.

"I will see you at 2100 hours then." Without bothering to ask if the tricorder scans, she gave him a curt nod and exit sickbay, leaving him wondering what in the world she needed to create a holoprogram for.

 **Author's Note:** There are only a few chapters left (four or five at the very most), and I'm feeling incredibly bitter sweet about that. In the mean time, leave me a review.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

Seven wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that she was back in sickbay or the fact both Chakotay and the Captain stood over her as she stretched out on the biobed in the surgical bay, carefully scrutinizing every facial expression the Doctor made and every piece of information that came up on his tricorder in an attempt to figure out what he was thinking. It was absolutely humiliating in every sense of the word. Being in sickbay, even for a checkup like this, was bad enough, but was made worse by the fact that she felt like she was a small child incapable of making decisions for herself right now. She was more than capable of handling a trip to sickbay on her own, rendering Chakotay and the Captain useless. That didn't stop both of them showing up though, just like helicopter parents. While Seven had struggled understanding the phrase earlier, now she understood it. Here was was dealing with it for only a few minutes, she couldn't imagine growing up with parents like this for her entire life. Clearly, her parents hadn't been helicopter parents, but now Chakotay and the Captain were making up for that in spades. Although she knew their hearts were in the right place, it made her feel like a science experiment, not a person.

"Hmmm…" Lines creased the Doctor's forehead as he carefully analyze the information on his tricorder. Seven felt nervous. It was impossible to read his expression and figure out what he was thinking, which only added to the frustration building up inside of her. All she wanted to know was if she could return to duty, she didn't need any of these games as the Doctor drew out her prognosis. The Doctor closed his tricorder and put the small scanning portion back in its appropriate slot on the top for safe keeping. Seven hated everything about this. She hated being in sickbay. After the Doctor always coming to her to check on her welfare, it felt strange and oddly formal to have to report here. Now she could understand why those house calls were far more appealing. While it was inefficient for the Doctor to report to his patients, it was far more comfortable being in Chakotay's quarters while he checked on her, not in sickbay.

"So Doctor, how is Seven doing?" Kathryn finally asked. Just like Seven, she wanted to know how she was doing, which was why she was here. Usually she was fine with getting the reports sent to her PADD whenever the Doctor checked on her, but this was an important checkup.

"I see no reason why Seven can't return to duty..." Seven's heart soared. She was so sick and tired of sitting around Chakotay's quarters with little to do and even little interaction with other members of the crew, which she found she missed as well. Yes, the reports from Astrometrics and her little project with Tom both kept her occupied for most of the day, but she was ready to return to duty. "Tomorrow." Just like that, her heart sank, and her dreams of returning to duty immediately from sickbay were dashed. She was fully prepared to return to

Astrometrics right away and put all the work she'd done in Chakotay's quarters to good use. While she only had to wait until tomorrow, she was still disappointed. This meant one more day of sitting around and trying to be a productive member of the crew. Suddenly, it dawned on her. She knew why the Doctor wasn't clearing her to return to duty tomorrow. She glanced over at the Captain, who seemed to understand as well. The Doctor really did feel that she was ready to return to duty, he was just giving her what she wanted because he knew what she was planning, Tom must have said something during one of his shifts here. It infuriated her, although she kept her emotions concealed, as she didn't want Chakotay to find out and ruin the surprise she'd been working so hard on. Despite the fact that the Doctor was trying to help her, she still wanted to return to duty as soon as possible.

"Doctor," she protested. He gave her a stern look that instantly told her that she shouldn't argue with him, as his mind was already made up.

"Just humor me with one more day of rest. It won't kill you, I promise." She knew he was only looking out for her, but she still felt frustrated and ready to return to Astrometrics, even if she and Icheb still weren't speaking.

"Fine," she snapped as she stood up.

"Thank you, Doctor," Kathryn said. She turned to Chakotay. "I'll see you on the bridge when you're ready." She rubbed his arm for a split second and gave Seven's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He nodded and watched as she exited sickbay and headed back to the bridge where she'd left Tuvok in charge.

"I'll walk you back," Chakotay offered to Seven. She was about to argue that she was fully capable of walking back to his quarters on her own, she could see in his dark brown eyes that he desired to spend a few more minutes with her before returning to duty. There was no way she could turn down those eyes. Just looking into them made her go weak in the knees.

"Very well," she relented. In actuality, she wanted to spend a few minutes with him as well. Over the past three days, she'd been so wrapped up in her project with Tom that she'd barely had time to spend time with him when he returned from duty. Even if it was only a few minutes, it was better than nothing.

As they walked down the corridor, Chakotay and Seven's hands inadvertently brushed against each other's. The faint touch was brief but enough to send shockwaves through both of them. They'd touched each other dozens, if not hundreds of times, but there was something about that time that was different. It was accidental but reminded them of how close they were to each other. She took the opportunity to slid her hand into his larger one and laced their fingers together. The implant that stretched the width of her palm felt cool against his skin. While he'd touched her implants before, there was something different about holding her implant encrusted hand in his. It was strange to feel a combination of metal and human flesh clutching his hand, but it was something he knew he could get used to. The action surprised him. While they more than comfortable displaying affection towards each other in the privacy of his quarters, this was the first time they'd ever done something like this out in the open. His eyes sparkled as he gave her a small smile, causing his dimples to appear. The sight of them caused her heart to flutter with desire, although her outward appearance gave off the impression that nothing had happened between them. Every crewman they passed in the corridor, however, noticed that something was going on. Several did double takes as they passed, while others openly gaped at the First Officer and Seven. Accustomed to the staring, she ignored them. Chakotay, on the other hand, felt a little self-conscious. He always made sure to maintain a certain sense of professionalism onboard, which meant keeping his private life behind closed doors. Now, however, everything was out in the open, both literally and figuratively. It was bound to happen, and he figured he might as well face it head on. He wasn't doing anything wrong anyway, just walking down the corridor with his girlfriend. He wasn't sure he'd ever get tired of saying that.

When they returned to Chakotay's quarters, Seven expected him to report directly back to the bridge. He had a job to do, and she didn't want to get in the way. Instead of returning to duty, however, he lead her over to the couch and silently pulled her down to sit next to him. Confused, she complied and kept her hand firmly clutched in his while she tried to figure out what was going on.

"Aren't you going to report to the bridge?" she asked in confusion.

"I am, but I wanted to talk to you about something first." He looked and sounded serious, the twinkle in his eyes and the dimples both gone, which made her nervous. She knew from her research that when one part of a couple said they needed to talk, it wasn't a good sign. She couldn't figure out what she had done wrong. She'd tried her hardest to stay off her feet and relax as much as possible over the past few days, but it was incredibly difficult for her. She'd also done her best to stay out of his way and be the best guest possible. She knew that these were his quarters, and she was just visiting, so she tried to keep the place looking presentable and do everything in her power to make herself useful while simultaneously abiding by the Doctor's orders to relax. Suddenly, it dawned on her, it all made sense to her.

"I've overstayed my welcome," she stated bluntly, sure she had figured out what was bothering him. "I'll remove my belongings and return to my cargobay immediately." She attempted to pull away and stand up, but he kept a tight grip on her hand, refusing to let her go.

"What?" The admission caught Chakotay off guard. He tried to process the statement and figure out if he had inadvertently given any sign that he felt that way, because it couldn't be further from the truth. "Of course not." He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, stroking the implants that stretched out across her porcelain flesh. "I wanted to tell you that I hope that you'll consider staying here for a little bit longer. I know the Doctor has cleared you to return to duty tomorrow, but I'd like if if you stayed here, at least for a few more days." Intrigued and confused, Seven raised her eyebrow and tilted her head to the side slightly. "You don't know how you'll feel tomorrow after a full day of duty, and I'd feel a little more comfortable if you were able to go somewhere where you can rest if you need to." Seven carefully thought over the request. It certainly was reasonable enough. If she looked at it from a medical standpoint, it made sense to stay here for a few more days. Her body might need to recover from being on her feet all day.

"I think that that is a reasonable request. I would like to stay for a few more days. I just want you to promise me something."

"Of course."

"Let me know when I've overstayed my welcome." He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the cool, metal covered knuckles softly.

"I will." He doubted that she would overstay her welcome, but if that's what he had to promise to get her to stay a few more days, then he was more than willing to do it. In a way, he'd grown accustomed to it, and he found that he enjoyed it greatly. There was something wonderful about coming back to his quarters after a long day on the bridge to someone who he cared about deeply. Previously, he loved the solitude of his quarters after the chaos of the bridge, but now he loved coming home and having someone to talk to and share the details of his day. No matter how boring it may be, Seven always listened to his day with unending patience.

As much as he hated it, Chakotay knew he had to report back to the bridge. Kathryn had given him some time to see Seven back to his quarters, but he still had a job to do. At least now he knew that when he returned to his quarters tonight, she would still be there waiting for him. He kissed her softly.

"I have to return to the bridge," he said as he pulled away. Disappointment filled his voice. When he looked at her, he could tell that she shared some of his sentiments about returning to the bridge.

"I understand." She sounded disappointed as well, but not the same extent that he was.

As he stood up to leave, he said, "Try to enjoy the last day of your vacation." She doubted she would be able to enjoy herself, as all she wanted to do was return to duty and make herself feel useful again. Even so, today would be the last day she could be able to dictate her schedule, and she wanted to make the most of it.

When Chakotay returned to the bridge, he immediately took a seat next to Kathryn in his chair. She was honestly surprised that he was back so soon, she expected him to be gone for a bit longer. She gave him a knowing look, which confused him. He hadn't done anything wrong, just a little hand holding on their way back to his quarters. While news traveled fast on _Voyager_ , he doubted that it traveled that fast.

"What?" he finally asked. Normally he could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her, but right now she was an utter mystery to him. It was strange, it had been a long time since he hadn't known what she was thinking.

"I just thought you'd be gone for longer," she replied innocently with a small shrug.

"You told me to report to the bridge, so I did." He looked at the console between his and Kathryn's chairs, tapping at it and looking over the information on the small screen. Having been so wrapped up in Seven's checkup in sickbay, he hadn't had the chance to bring himself up to speed with the status of all the ship's systems for the day. Of course, he expected everything to be fine; it had been very slow the past few days. Not that he was complaining, it was always nice to have some down time around here.

"I thought you would want to spend some time with Seven."

"We'll have plenty of time for that tonight." The words just slipped past his lips without him even realizing it. Intrigued, Kathryn leaned closer to him with a knowing sparkle in her eyes.

"Exciting plans for tonight?" she pressed in a low voice so no one else could her. After seven years together, they were aware of how low to talk on the bridge so no one else could hear. At this point, conversations like this were second nature to them. It also helped that crewmen on the bridge were used to their semi-private conversations and were experienced at blocking them out when necessary.

"No," he replied a little too quickly to sound convincing. "But I've talked Seven into staying in my quarters for a few more nights, just to play it safe." Kathryn had to admit that that surprised her. She didn't expect their relationship to move so quickly, even if this living arrangement was just for a little while, although she couldn't be happier for the couple. It was clear that they were comfortable with each other and becoming very happy with each other's company.

"Is this going to be a permanent thing?" she asked. Normally she didn't get so involved in the personal lives of her crew, but this was Chakotay and Seven she was talking about. She didn't view them as crewmen but instead as close friends. In her mind, she should ask about her friends and their relationship.

"It's just temporary," he replied, although he wasn't sure if he was telling Kathryn that or himself so he didn't get used to the living arrangement. "There's nowhere for Seven to rest in her cargobay. It's really for her own health and wellbeing."

"Oh, of course." Not buying it for a second, Kathryn smirked knowingly as she patted his arm. She knew better, he asked her because he enjoyed the company more than anything else. He ignored her comment and rolled his eyes. He really was doing it in the best interest of Seven, even if the Captain thought otherwise.

Realizing that if she was going to stay with Chakotay for a little while longer, she would need to get some more fresh clothes, Seven left his quarters and headed down to her cargobay. With a few small exceptions, such as meeting with Tom or going to sickbay and the Captain's quarters, this was the first time she'd really been out and about since before she left for the away mission. Although she wasn't one to wander around _Voyager_ for the fun of it like other members of the crew, it was refreshing to walk around on her own. As she passed several crewmen, they all smiled and nodded, silently greeting her and letting her know that she had been missed over the past few weeks. Some even commented on how good she looked and asked about her welfare. Seven couldn't help but think back to when she first arrived on _Voyager_. Almost everyone on board avoided her at every cost, giving her a wide berth in the corridors or even going so far as to turn the other way when they saw her coming. Now, however, they all seemed overjoyed that she was back on her feet, even if she wasn't allowed to return to duty quite yet. It was quite a change of pace and showed her that she was a valued member of this crew.

When Seven arrived in the cargobay, she was caught off guard when she saw Icheb still there. As he adjusted his shirt, it appeared that he just finished getting dressed and was about to head out. If she had just waited a few minutes longer, then he probably would have been gone, and this entire uncomfortable encounter could have been avoided. She had expected him to be in Aastrometrics, which is why she came down when she did; she didn't know what to say to him to try and make amends.

"Are you here to stay?" Icheb asked in a strained voice. His tone gave away his extreme displeasure with her. Even though she'd given him space for several days, he still wanted nothing to do with her. It was a sobering realization for her; they'd never had problems like this before.

"No, I am here to retrieve some extra clothes," Seven replied. While he may let his emotions get the better of him, she was trying her best to give the outward appearance of calmness, even if was all a lie. "Commander Chakotay has requested that I remain in his quarters for a few extra days to ensure I'm fully recovered. I will be able to return to duty tomorrow though."

"I am sure Commander Chakotay is relieved to have the company," Icheb snapped as he walked past her stiffly. His arm bumped hers as he passed. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that that action was intentional.

"Icheb," she pleaded desperately as she turned to face him. He glared at her. Never before had she seen him give her such an icy stare. Caught off guard, she took a step backwards and tried to think of what to say. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but nothing came out; she had no idea what to say to him to make amends. He took the opportunity to turn on his heels and stalk out of the room without saying anything to her. He was so mad at her still, he didn't even want to be in the same room as her. He needed time to think.

After checking in with Kathryn, Chakotay retreated to the peacefulness of his office to catch up on some work. While he'd been back on _Voyager_ for nearly two weeks now, he hadn't exactly been working at his peak efficiency for his first week back. Because of that, he was still catching up on some of the work. Had Seven not been staying in his quarters, he would simply work late to catch up on his work, but he wanted to spend his evenings with her instead of being stuck in his office. With any luck, he'd finally be caught up today and would only have to focus on current work. Thankfully, Kathryn understood the workload he was dealing with right now and didn't mind if he disappeared for a few hours to his office to work. He knew that if something came up, she would summon him back to the bridge. The doorbell rang.

"Enter," he called formally without looking up from the PADD in his hand. The door opened and closed. Caught up in his work, it took him a few moments to look up. He glanced up and did a double take when he saw Seven standing in front of him.

"Everything alright?" he asked as he tossed the PADD to the side and got to his feet. That was when he noticed the bag on her hand. Confused, he came out from behind his desk. He had no idea what was going on.

"I went to get some clothes from my cargobay," she replied. Her voice was heavy with emotion. When he approached her, he saw that tears brimmed the her crystal blue eyes. "And Icheb won't even look at me. I tried talking to him, but he wants nothing to do with me." She swatted angrily at the tears that started to roll down her cheeks. She wasn't sure what got her more upset, how Icheb treated her or the fact that she was feeling so emotional about it that she felt the need to interrupt Chakotay while he was working. Her visit to his office went against everything she believed in.

"Hey, it's okay." Unable to resist, he gathered her up in his arms in an attempt to comfort her. He rubbed her back and pressed a reassuring kiss to the top of her head. He knew Seven was upset not only because she showed up in his office like this but because she didn't protest when he consoled her but instead relaxed into his comforting arms. Apparently all thoughts of keeping their personal and professional lives separate had flown out the airlock. "I can still talk to him if you want." He hated seeing her like this; she'd already been through so much and didn't deserve this. She shook her head.

"I don't know why I came here." She started to pull away, but he kept a grip on her arms, ready at a moment to hold her close once again. "You're working, and I need to prepare to return to duty tomorrow."

"It's fine, _muñeca_. Crew issues are under my purview anyway." He hoped the little joke would help lighten the mood, but he could tell by her expression that it wasn't working. She looked at the PADDs on Chakotay's desk and immediately began to compose herself. She sniffled and attempted to smooth down her hair.

"You're busy, I shouldn't have bothered you." She turned to leave, but he moved to block her exit.

"Seven, it's fine," he assured. There was no way he was going to let her leave in this current condition. She needed to talk, and he was more than willing to listen. He'd do this to any crewman who showed up in his office with a problem, not just her. "Come have a seat." He put a guiding hand on her back and steered her in the direction of the small couch under the window. While his office may be significantly smaller than the Captain's ready room, it still afforded him the privacy he needed to perform his duties as First Officer, such as comforting distraught crewmen.

Seven silently complied and sat on the couch next to Chakotay. He clutched both her hands in his and looked at her with his usual calm, soothing brown eyes. Already, she was starting to feel better just by being with him, there was something about him that was always calming.

"Tell me exactly what happened," he prompted. She took a deep breath to collect herself.

"I returned to the cargobay to retrieve some extra clothes so I can stay with you," she started slowly. "Icheb was there, but I wasn't expecting him, I thought he would already be in astrometrics. He asked me if I was returning to the cargobay, and I told him that I would be staying in your quarters for a few more days. He got upset at that news. I tried to get him to stay, but I could see in his eyes that he was furious with me. I thought you said he would be fine after a few days. It's been over a week, and he's still mad at me." Chakotay listened carefully to the story, nodding understandingly at the appropriate times, as was his way. Now that it was his turn to offer advice, however, he found himself struggling. He thought he'd given reasonable advice before, but clearly that wasn't the case.

"This is the first big fight the two of you have had, so it may take longer to get over how he feels. It's common for teenagers to fight with their parents." Her gaze immediately hardened at the comment. She might have a close relationship with Icheb and more or less be in charge of his upbringing as his own parents sacrificed him to the Borg, but that didn't make her his mother. Not once did she ever think of herself as that.

"I'm not Icheb's mother," she snapped haughtily.

"No, you're not, but you might as well be. Your relationship is very maternal to him. You're the closest thing to a mother that he has, so it's expected that the two of you will have some disagreements eventually. Hell, even you and I have disagreements. You can't take it personally. I can talk to him about it if you want. Your job will be far more difficult tomorrow if you and Icheb aren't on speaking terms."

"I am fully capable of taking care of my problems on my own. I, I don't know why I came to bother you and interrupt your work." Chakotay reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"You needed someone to talk to, and I'm glad it's me you came to talk to." She had to admit that she did feel a little bit better getting her emotions out in the open, even if she still didn't have a solution to her problem. There was something about having Chakotay be aware of her problems that helped her feel slightly more relaxed. If only he'd been able to offer her some sort of solution past the fact that she and Icheb needed to repair their relationship in order to work properly in Astrometrics.

The doorbell chimed, instantly ending the tender moment the couple shared. Chakotay sighed, there always seemed to be someone who needed him. He looked at Seven. At least she'd stopped crying, although he could tell that she was still visibly upset from her fight with Icheb. He wanted to tell whoever was at his door to come back later, but he knew he couldn't do that. He'd put his emotions before his professional responsibilities on the away mission, and he couldn't do that anymore. He had a job to do, whether he wanted to or not.

"Enter," he called. The door slid open, and Tuvok entered. In a flash, Seven was on her feet and attempting to mask the fact that she had been crying, although her puffy eyes and ruddy cheeks instantly gave it away to anyone who saw her. Guilt consumed her. She'd been hoping to get in and out of Chakotay's office without being seen by any members of the crew, as it was highly improper for her to be here, especially in this emotional state. If anything, it would cause members of the crew to gossip with even more ferocity than they already were. It didn't matter that they had been walking down the corridor hand in hand just a few hours ago, this was something entirely different, it looked like she was sneaking into his office for some illicit fun while he was supposed to be doing his job.

"Am I interrupting?" Tuvok inquired. The last person he expected to see in Chakotay's office was Seven, as he was under the impression that she was still relieved of duty for medical reasons for one more day.

"No, I was just leaving," Seven replied in a formal voice in an attempt to chase away any impropriety that crossed Tuvok's mind. She was about to walk out the door, when she looked over at Chakotay for a split second to show him that she was perfectly fine even though it was clear that she wasn't. He took advantage of the split second to plant a loving kiss on the top of her head. It just happened without him even having to think about it. When he pulled away, he saw the disapproving look on her face that told him that that had been a mistake; they needed to keep things formal, especially with Tuvok standing right in front of them. As far as they could tell, he didn't seem to mind, although he was a Vulcan and didn't express any emotions. Chakotay had no regrets, and he'd do it all over again. "Commander," she nodded formally at Chakotay and once again at Tuvok before leaving to return to his quarters, making sure to grab her bag containing her clothes from the cargobay on her way.

That evening, Chakotay entered his quarters and found Seven setting the table for another intimate dinner for them to share. With a scrutinizing gaze, she adjusted the neatly folded napkin and made sure it was perfectly perpendicular to the edge of the table. As always, everything needed to be perfect for her. Once she made sure the napkins were exactly where they needed to be, she rearranged the small platters of food.

"Looks like you were busy today," Chakotay commented. She really had gone above and beyond with her cooking this time, there were five small platters of food scattered across the already crowded kitchen table.

"I can't take credit for this, Chell sent up the food." Now that he got a closer look, Chakotay recognized the food as some of Chell's culinary masterpieces. It was fine with him that she got food from the mess hall. In fact, he preferred that, as it meant that Seven hadn't spent the entire day cooking or replicating food when she should be resting and enjoying her last day off. She stood up and carefully analyzed the table, looking for anything that might be out of place. To her, everything looked perfect. "Dinner is ready," she announced proudly as she motioned for him to have a seat. Rather than just sit down, however, he pulled out the chair for her. She gave him a small smile as she sat down. While it was such a small action, it made her heart flutter with flattery and a small bit of desire. He was always such a gentleman.

As he ate, Chakotay slid his hand across the table on top of Seven's, clutching it gently. She glanced at him for a split second before turning her attention back to her food. It was an innocent enough touch, but she felt strangely uneasy after being caught in his office by Tuvok that afternoon.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your work this morning." Right away, he put down his fork and instead turned all his attention on her. He saw the conflict in her eyes, this was something that had been bothering her all afternoon. "It was highly unprofessional, and it won't happen again."

"Don't apologize," he urged. He couldn't understand why this was such a big deal to her. Plenty of members of the crew came to him with problems; just because they were dating didn't mean she shouldn't do the same. "You were clearly upset and needed someone to talk to. I just wish there was something more that I could do. I hate seeing you upset like this." She shook her head.

"This isn't your problem, it's mine, and I'll deal with it when I return to duty tomorrow."

"But it is my problem." Confused, she looked up at him, momentarily forgetting about the plate of food in front of her. She raised her eyebrow and tried to figure out what he was talking about.

"Explain."

"You're my girlfriend, Seven, which means I'm here to support you through all your problems, no matter how difficult they may be. It's a part of the job description."

"I was unaware there was a formal job description for significant others." He cracked a smile, causing those irresistible dimples to appear, which momentarily distracted her from how she was feeling. For the majority of the day, she was kept busy enough to forget about how Icheb treated her, but now she had to face the problem head on again.

"It's a joke. It means that it's my job to help you, even if that means taking a few minutes out of my day to support you through a difficult time. I don't want you to feel anxious when you return to duty tomorrow."

"I am Borg, I don't feel anxious," Seven snapped. "And I need to finish eating, because I'm meeting Tom in twenty minutes."

"Again?" Chakotay blurted out. Every evening for nearly a week she'd been running off in the evening to meet with Tom, taking away from the time he'd come to enjoy with her in the evening. Before the away mission, the two of them barely spoke, and now they were doing some super secret something that took up quite a bit of their time. He couldn't figure out what it was; he didn't think they had anything in common, well not enough to spend this much time together.

"It's the last night we're meeting," she informed him. "Is that alright with you?" Suddenly, she felt unsure about meeting with Tom. While she'd previously accused Chakotay of being jealous as a joke, now she wondered if he was in fact jealous. She should have been more cognizant of his feelings, especially since their relationship was still in its early stages.

"No, I'm just curious about what the two of you are doing."

"It's a surprise." She sounded unsure about herself, almost as if she wasn't sure if she was using the word correctly, which only caused him to become more intrigued.

"A surprise?" he repeated. He'd never known Seven to be one to go out of her way to plan surprises. The thought of her planning one, however, piqued his interest, and he couldn't find out what it was. He just hoped that it wasn't something he'd come to regret, which was usually the case when it came to Tom and his shenanigans.

In the hololab, Tom looked over the changes Seven had made to the holoprogram they were writing. While her changes were more or less acceptable, there were a few tweaks that needed to be made in order to ensure that the program ran smoothly. As he made the changes, the door slid open, and Seven entered.

"I apologize for my tardiness, Commander Chakotay and I were having dinner, and it took a little longer than expected," she explained as she sidled up to him and looked at the changes he made to her program. His keen eye had caught a mistake in her calculations that she'd somehow overlooked.

"It's fine," he assured. "How's Chakotay doing?"

"The Commander is fine," she replied as she folded her arms behind her back and looked at the rest of the changes he'd made to the program. As far as she could tell, everything appeared acceptable. "Although he is growing suspicious of our nightly meetings."

"Well it's a good thing this is our last night meeting." The last thing he needed was for Chakotay to get angry with him because he was monopolizing his girlfriend. He continued to tap at the console and look over the program algorithms. "Everything looks good here, Seven. It's impressive for your first holoprogram."

"It's hardly anything impressive. There are no characters, and it's a basic holoprogram."

"It doesn't matter how basic the program is, it's something you created just for Chakotay. I know he'll love it." Seven was about to point out that how Chakotay felt about the program was irrelevant, but how he felt about this program was actually everything to her. More than anything, perfection was essential here.

Tom did his best to stand back and let Seven make the necessary final alterations to the holoprogram. He wanted this program to be hers, he was just here to make sure it all ran smoothly. In all honesty, Seven didn't even really need him here. The few mistakes she'd made were so minor that they'd have no actual effect on how the program ran. In all honesty, there was no reason for him to be here, but he still enjoyed himself. Writing holoprograms was one of his favorite things to do in his free time.

"Well, Seven, everything looks fine," he announced as they entered the hololab from the holodeck where they had done a quick run through of the program. As far as they could tell, it all looked like it was running as planned. "It should all be ready to run."

"Everything must be perfect," Seven emphasized as she turned her attention to the console. There were still a few things she wanted to change. "This is a very special program."

"I promise, Seven, everything will be fine. You've done extensive research and meticulously recreated every last detail. It looked fine when we walked through it." She didn't look convinced. "Plus, it won't matter to Chakotay if there are any flaws in your program."

"Explain."

"You wrote this program from the heart, and that's all he'll care about." Tom's words were oddly reassuring.

"Thank you." Seven temporarily abandoned her task and turned to face him properly. "Lieutenant, I never formally thanked you."

Tom glanced up from the PADD in his hand for a moment before saying, "It's no problem, Seven, I'm glad to do something for Chakotay."

"Not for that, although I am grateful for your help the past few days. You saved my life, Lieutenant. Had it not been for your care in the caves, I would not be here right now. I owe you my life." Caught off guard, Tom put down his PADD. He never expected her to thank him. Everything he did was because he's a decent person and a medic. There was no way he was going to let any member of the crew down, especially someone like Seven, who he often regarded as his friend.

"I was just doing my job. Plus I knew Chakotay would throw me out of the nearest airlock if anything happened to you." Seven had to admit that that was probably true. As calm as Chakotay was, he was still incredibly protective of her, a trait she both adored and detested. "I'm also glad that you're alright. I'm not gonna lie, Seven, but I was scared shitless the entire time. I thought you weren't going to survive."

"Neither did I," she admitted. The admissions from the usually private woman surprised him. That was something he expected her to say to Chakotay or the Captain, or maybe even the Doctor, but not him. "But I did, and it was thanks to you. It seems wrong that I have asked you for more help with creating this program when you've already done so much for me."

"I enjoy creating holoprograms. Honestly, I'd probably be doing this in my quarters anyway." What little down time he had he spent working on holoprograms, much to B'Elanna's chagrin. Everyone had to have a hobby, and she should be glad that his was relatively harmless.

"My understanding of human relationships tells me that it is important to offer some sort of compensation for assistance with tasks such as this."

"That's not necessary." Tom couldn't figure out what Seven had to offer him anyway.

"I would like to volunteer to look after Miral for an evening." Apparently he was wrong, she did have something to offer him. A night out with B'Elanna, perhaps on the holodeck, sounded perfect to him. God only knows she needed a break, and he wouldn't complain if he got one as well. On the other hand, he wasn't entirely sure how well Seven would do with his incredibly high maintenance daughter. She'd done a wonderful job with Icheb and the rest of the children, and Naomi worshipped the ground she walked on, but Miral was a different case entirely. She was a quarter Klingon, which meant she was quick to grow frustrated and incredibly vocal about it. She'd definitely inherited her mother's temperament. Still, he wasn't about to turn down such an offer.

"That sounds great," he said with a smile. He wasn't sure how much B'Elanna would like leaving their daughter with Seven for the evening, but he'd talk her into it. With everything that had gone on for the past few weeks, they both definitely deserved a break and some precious couple time together.

When Tom walked into his quarters an hour later, he found B'Elanna sitting on the couch facing the door with her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at him. The second he saw her, he knew he was in deep trouble. He didn't need to be familiar with his wife's mannerisms to know that she was absolutely furious with him, but he couldn't figure out why. Normally, he knew when he made a mistake, not that that stopped them from fighting anyway.

"I thought you were only going to be gone for an hour," she snapped.

"Things ran a bit longer than expected, I'm sorry babe." He leaned over to kiss her, but she pushed him away and got to her feet. Sighing, he spun around to face her. It was far too late to deal with things like this. He'd been working all day, only to meet up with Seven.

"Don't sorry me. You've been running off every evening to do I don't even know what with Seven." Normally B'Elanna just got frustrated when he spent too much time in the hololab, but she never got as mad as she was right now. This didn't make any sense to him at all.

"Are you jealous?" he blurted out. As soon as he asked, he knew he'd made a mistake. He shouldn't have said that, it would only make matters worse.

"Should I be?" B'Elanna challenged with fire in her dark brown eyes. Now he was in deep water. He should have just kept his mouth shut.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that Miral was sleeping, and they had to keep their voices lower so they didn't wake her. Thankfully, the infant was still fast asleep in her crib. "You'r my wife, the mother of my child, and I love you more than anything else in the galaxy."

"Well you have a funny way of showing it. You leave me for a week on some away mission, and you come back and immediately start spending every evening with Seven the second she bats her eyes and asks for your help."

"She's a _friend_. You don't see me acting like this when you play hoverball with Chakotay or spend the evening with him. It is possible to have friends of the opposite gender without there being any romantic feelings. I'm crazy about you, just like Seven is crazy about Chakotay. You're being ridiculous. Don't you trust me?" She opened and closed her mouth several times as she tried to think of what to say. Somehow, she'd backed herself into a corner, and now she had to find a way to talk her way out of it.

"This isn't about me, this is about you," she argued once she figured out that there was no way she'd be able to talk her way out of this. "I want to know what the hell have you been doing with Seven? You barely said two words to her, and then you go on this away mission, and now you're spending every evening with her. All I want to know is what you're doing."

"It's a surprise." Tom knew that there was no she would buy his story, even though it was the truth. Had he been working with any other member of the crew, he knew they wouldn't be having this conversation; it was the fact that he was spending so much time with Seven that drove her crazy. Still seething with anger, B'Elanna stormed into the bedroom and grabbed his pillow.

"Fine, keep your secrets," she sneered. "You can sleep on the couch tonight." She threw the pillow at him, hitting him squarely in the face.

"B'Elanna," he pleaded as he walked towards her. She spun around and pointed a menacing finger at him, which was enough to get him to stop dead in his tracks. He knew that look, if he didn't stop right now, he'd be sleeping in the Delta Flyer.

 **Author's Note:** Only 3 more chapters left!


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

With her expert fingers working mechanically, Seven pulled and twisted her cornsilk hair back into its usual French twist and pinned it firmly in place. She scrutinized her appearance in the bathroom mirror, looking for any minor flaw in her appearance. What little color that usually crept across her cheeks finally returned, giving her a health appearance, and her clear blue eyes were bright with excitement and anticipation at the prospect of finally being able to return to duty. It felt like a lifetime since she'd reported to duty, although it had only been a few weeks. So much had happened between then and now, it almost didn't seem real. Not only had she gone on an away mission that had gone horribly wrong, but she'd been on death's door. As if that wasn't enough, her relationship with Chakotay had advanced in a way she didn't expect. It was a lot for anyone to process, but now it was time for her to get back to her usual routine. She was glad to get back to work, even though she'd found ways to keep herself occupied in Chakotay's quarters with the work from Astrometrics graciously provided to her by the Captain and her little project with Tom. When she exited the bathroom and walked into the bedroom, Seven found Chakotay straightening his uniform and running his fingers over his collar to make sure his rank insignia was properly in place.

"Glad to be going back to duty?" he asked as he took her hand, pulling her close. One of her arms slid around his neck while the other gripped his upper arm. As soon as she felt her body against his, she began to relax. It was then that she realized just how stressed she felt. There was no reason for her to feel anxiety, as she was simply returning to duty, to where she'd worked for several years now. To feel nervous was inefficient and illogical. His hand rested on the small of her back, and the other on the side of her neck, stroking her jaw with his thumb in the process.

"I'm glad my vacation is over," she replied. That may be the case, but Chakotay still had his apprehensions. He thought that she got tired easier than usual, and that was what worried him the most. The last thing he wanted was for something to happen to her on her first day back.

"Just be sure to take it easy. The Captain will understand if you have to leave early if you're not feeling well." The mere suggestion of leaving early made Seven feel angry. There was no way she'd even consider doing that. She'd already missed so much time, she couldn't afford to miss any more.

"I'll be more than capable of completing a shift." Her voice had a particular edge that wasn't there moments earlier. She was needed in Astrometrics, and she couldn't waste any more time sitting around here.

"I have no doubt, but just keep that in mind, _muñeca_ , just in case." When she looked in his eyes, she could see a hint of desperation and concern for her. He wasn't doing it to be overbearing, he was looking out for her. The realization was enough to soften her up. Rather than be insulted by the suggestion, she realized that it was simply Chakotay's way of looking out for her and making sure she took care of herself. If she had been in his shoes, there was no doubt in her mind that she would act the same.

"I will keep your suggestion in mind, although it will be unnecessary." He rested his forehead against hers. She took advantage of the close proximity to brush her lips past his. At first, she intended for it to be a quick, sweet kiss, but he slid his arms around her slender waist and pulled her closer. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, begging for permission to deepen the kiss. She parted her lips slightly, giving him just enough permission to thrust his tongue inside and move against hers as the kiss quickly heated up.

Feeling bold, Chakotay carefully guided Seven in the direction of the freshly made bed that they'd just abandoned not even half an hour earlier. The second the backs of her knees hit the mattress, they buckled, sending them both tumbling across the bedspread. He made sure to brace himself with his arm so he didn't accidentally crush her, which would undoubtedly ruin the moment.

"We only have a few minutes before we have to leave to report to duty," Seven pointed out, her voice a soft whisper although she had no idea why, it wasn't like there was anyone around here to hear them. His hands splayed out on either side of her head, allowing him to look down at her as he hovered above her. She rested her hands against his broad chest, ready to push him away if he tried to get too bold in the limited amount of time they had before reporting for duty.

"Do you want to stop?" He hated the thought of stopping, but if she wanted to, then he would. She was right, they didn't have a lot of time, but they had just enough time for a little bit of excitement as long as they didn't get too carried away.

"I never said that." Now it was Seven's turn to take initiative. She grabbed the front of Chakotay's tunic and pulled him down until their lips slammed together in a fiery kiss. Unaccustomed to her taking charge like that, he was caught off guard. Once he regained himself, he rolled them over so she straddled his waist. She pried her lips away from his and left a trail of kisses along his strong jaw to his neck. She always loved when he kissed her there, and she wanted to see if she was capable of giving him the same experience. Based on the fact that he tangled his fingers in her hair, instantly ruining the French twist she'd so carefully styled a few moments earlier, she figured that she was doing something right. His free hand slid along her sleek bodysuit and grabbed her butt, causing her to gasp but continue what she was doing, using her tongue, lips and teeth to tease him mercilessly.

Despite all the time they spent together in bed and sharing intimate moments, Chakotay had no idea Seven was so seductive and capable of such actions. While she definitely looked the part of an enticing seductress with her skintight bodysuits that she always wore, he was starting to learn that she could play the part as well. Every touch, every kiss, every everything sent shockwaves shooting through his body as he longed for more. Not only was she fantastic company to keep when they just sat around and talked, but she was a mind blowing lover who knew exactly what to do to drive him crazy, not that that mattered as much to him. In his mind, he was more focused on their compatibility and how much they enjoyed spending time together, but it was still an added bonus.

Seven pressed her lips against Chakotay's lips again, bringing him back to reality after the tantalizing teasing he'd just endured. His hand rested on her cheek, and he moaned in response to the feeling of her lips against his. In the back of his mind, he realized that their time was up, they had to get going if they were going to report to duty on time. As much as he hated it, he pried his lips away from hers only to peck her lightly. Loose strands of blonde hair that broke free from her French twist tickled his face. He hadn't even realized how much he messed up her hair until now. Half of it was still pinned back while the other half framed her flushed face.

"We should get going." The words were painful to say. All he wanted was to stay in bed with her now, but both of them had jobs to do, and there was no way they could get out of it. As much as she had been enjoying herself, Seven knew he was right. "Tonight though, we'll pick up where we left off if you aren't too tired." The lusty look in his dark eyes told her that he fully intended to keep his promise. Seven climbed off him and began to adjust her clothes and hair to make sure she looked presentable. The last thing she needed was to show up in Astrometrics with her hair and clothes askew, which would imply what the two of them had been up to.

"I was actually going to suggest a date tonight."

"A date?" Chakotay repeated as he also got to his feet and began to straighten out his uniform. He smoothed down his tunic and did a quick inspection in the mirror to make sure he looked presentable. As far as he could tell, he looked fine, ready to report to the bridge.

"It's been awhile since we've been on a proper date, and since your birthday is tomorrow, I thought that tonight would be an acceptable night to suggest a date." Seven crossed to the bathroom to look herself over. With the exception of a little more color in her cheeks than usual, she looked presentable and like her usual composed self as she fastened her hair back into its usual style. Chakotay followed after her and leaned against the doorway while he watched her analyze her appearance. He felt like he could watch her for hours as she completed even the most mundane tasks like fixing her hair.

"You've been giving this a lot of thought, haven't you?" he asked. She turned around and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Be ready at 1900 hours and make sure to wear something nice." She patted him on the chest and slid past him. She couldn't be late on her first day back in Astrometrics. Something told him that whatever she had planned, it was going to be an interesting evening together. A formal date sounded like the perfect way to spend the evening with her. They might be technically living together right now, but they hadn't taken the time to go on a date since before leaving for the away mission. As far as he was concerned, this was exactly what they needed in their relationship.

Tom groaned as he sat up. While the couch was infinitely better than the cave he'd been subjected to during the disastrous away mission, it still wasn't as comfortable as his bed with his wife curled up next to him. The pillows were hard and lumpy, and he barely had enough room to roll over or make himself comfortable. He tilted his head from side to side several times until his neck cracked loudly, providing him some much needed relief from the painful crick that crept along the back of his neck. With Miral balanced in her arms and an unamused expression on her worn out face, B'Elanna emerged from the bathroom. As soon as she saw her father, Miral's eyes lit up, but B'Elanna held on to the child.

"Well, it's about time you got up," she snapped. "You were going to be late for duty if you didn't get up soon."

"Well thanks for waking me," Tom shot back in an equally icy tone. Sentiments from their fight the night before were fresh in both their minds and neither one of them felt the need to apologize for their behavior.

"You're a grown man, capable of handling your own schedule, including how you spend your evenings." The last comment was a poorly hidden insult meant to bring up the fight from last night that they had yet to talk through, which wasn't lost on Tom at all. He might be pretty dense, but he wasn't that clueless to how B'Elanna felt right now. She breezed across the room to grab Miral a bottle from the small kitchen.

"Really? I've been up for like two minutes, and you're already going to start this?" he demanded loudly as he got to his feet. The least she could do was wait until he had his first cup of coffee to bring this up. "There is _nothing_ going on with me and Seven. She asked for my help with something, and I figured I would help her out because that's what people do, they help out their friends." B'Elanna looked unmoved by his assertion. Never in all her years of being on _Voyager_ had Seven sought out Tom's help before like this, and she couldn't help but feel suspicious. In all honesty, she was surprised that the rest of the crew wasn't gossiping as well.

"I had no idea you two were so chummy."

"Watching a person almost die will do that to you." The words just came out before Tom could stop himself. For a split second, her gaze softened as she realized just how ridiculous she was acting.

"Excuse me?"

"I spent over a week on that damn planet watching Seven's health decline. She was dying, and everything in my medical training told me to help her, but there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. Imagine how you would feel if the warp core was down, and all you could do was sit in engineering and stare at it? Because that's what it was like for me." Once the words were out in the open, Tom found that he felt significantly better, as if the air had finally been cleared between the two of them. He had no idea he felt that way, but once he started talking, he realized just how he felt. Watching Seven as they were trapped in that cave had been one of the worst experiences of his life. "So when Seven asked me for a favor, I said yes, because I might not have been able to do something for her on the away mission, but now I could do something."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked as she walked towards him. She never really gave much thought to the impact the away mission had on Tom. Just like everyone else, she was focused on Chakotay and how he was handling Seven's health problems. With the exception of being shot in the side, Tom had appeared to be fine, so she never pursued the matter with him. Clearly, she should have focused on her husband just a little bit more. He shrugged.

"I don't know, I guess I never really knew why I said yes until just now," he admitted. "And I'm sorry, I should have been more sensitive to how you felt about it."

"It's fine, Tom. I, I guess I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did." Given the fact that B'Elanna held Miral in one hand and a bottle in the other, there wasn't much she could do to show Tom that she forgave him. Sensing that, he leaned over and kissed his cheek softly while wrapping one arm around her waist and burying his face in her hair. As much as they fought, he was glad they had cleared the air and could move past this disagreement.

A few minutes late for duty, Chakotay rushed Kathryn's ready room through the back door that lead to the corridor along the rear of the bridge. Normally she would be upset at a crewman being late, but since he was always either on time or early for duty, she was more than willing to let it slide, especially since today was Seven's first day back to Astrometrics.

"Late start?" she teased as he flung himself down on the couch next to her and grabbed his cup of coffee from where it sat on the table just like it did every morning. After his morning, however, he may have found something that did a better job at waking him up than coffee.

"Just wanted to make sure Seven was fine reporting to duty," he replied in a surprisingly cool voice. Despite his calm, collected demeanor, there was a certain glimmer in his eyes that usually wasn't there.

"Uh-huh, sure." Kathryn wasn't buying it at all. She leaned over and pulled down the collar of his grey undershirt, revealing a hickey that her keen eyes saw almost as soon as he sat down. It was harder to see against his tanned skin, but her acute eyesight had seen the top of it poking out from under the grey garment. "You sure that's all you were doing?" He sighed. He'd been so caught up in the moment that he hadn't stopped to think that Seven might be inadvertently leaving a mark. "Here's a hint for you young love birds, next time make sure to leave the hickey somewhere that's covered by your clothes." A warm blush crept across Chakotay's cheeks. Despite the fact that he considered Kathryn to be his closest friend, and there were no secrets between them, he still felt uncomfortable talking about his personal life with her like this. She got to her feet and retrieved the medkit from behind her desk. She produced the dermal regenerator and crossed the room to stand in front of him. "Unless you want to be subjected to Tom Paris' endless ridicule." Chakotay thought about it for a second. While it was embarrassing to show up in Kathryn's ready room like this, he knew it would be a million times worse if Tom, or any crew member really, saw the hickey. On the other hand, Tom and B'Elanna were infamous all across the starship for their romantic exploits. They'd been caught by nearly every member of the crew in embarrassing, compromising positions. It took them a while to learn to be more careful about where they were and what they were doing.

"Fine," he relented as he tilted his head to the side. Kathryn pulled the grey collar down. Now that she got a closer look, she had to admit that it was an impressive mark; she had no idea Seven had it in her. Angry red marks marred his flesh, indicating exactly where she'd latched on to his neck in the heat of the moment. She ran the dermal regenerator over the marred flesh, instantly causing the hickey to disappear and returning his skin to its typical bronze hue. Satisfied with her handiwork, Kathryn went to return the dermal regenerator to the medkit. "I think Seven's planning something," Chakotay finally blurted out. The feeling had been building up in him for quite some time now, and he couldn't deny it any longer. With her constant disappearances and sudden desire for a romantic date night for just the two of them, he couldn't help but think that she had something up her sleeve, although, for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what that might be.

"Planning something?" she asked as she feigned ignorance. It was surprisingly easy for her to pretend that she had no idea what he was talking about despite the fact that she had been in on it from the very beginning. It was difficult for her to lie to someone who knew her so well, especially since Chakotay was so familiar with her mannerisms, but as far as she could tell, he wasn't suspicious.

"She's spent every evening for nearly a week with Tom, doing God only knows what, and now she's insisting on going on a date tonight."

"There's nothing wrong with going on a date," she pointed out as she returned to her seat next to him and picked up her coffee. She took a sip of the beverage and leaned back with her arm propped up on the back of the couch. "You two have had a very difficult month, it's perfectly normal for a woman to want to spend a nice, romantic evening with her boyfriend." He looked at her. Now that they were sitting next to each other, he could tell that there was something off about her. She wouldn't look him in the eye and was sitting a few centimeters farther away from him than usual. Normally, he wouldn't notice these things, but he was always well aware of Kathryn and her behavior towards him. She was acting different, slightly uncomfortable, which hadn't been the case earlier.

"You know something, don't you?" he pressed as he leaned towards her. He tried to look her in the eye, but she kept averting her gaze, which told him that she definitely knew something. The only problem was that he could see in her eyes that there was no way he'd get any information out of her; her lips were sealed. "Fine, keep your secrets." He stood up and drained his coffee cup. "But I'll find out eventually."

"Oh, I have no doubt," Kathryn teased with a small laugh, causing him to roll his eyes. He hated secrets, especially when they had to do with him. He was the type of person who just wanted to know everything. Besides, he never expected Seven to be the one to have some sort of secret from him. With the exception of not telling him that she needed to regenerate during their away mission, they always had an open and completely honest relationship.

When Seven arrived in Astrometrics, Icheb was already there. He had to have heard the door open as she entered, but he made no acknowledgement of her arrival. Instead, he continued to scroll through the information on the large screen that dominated the far wall. Seven immediately jumped right into what was expected of her. She stationed herself at one of the consoles a few feet away from him and looked over the information on the screen, her mind whirling at warp speed.

"We will be passing a Class One nebula in approximately three days. The Captain and Commander Chakotay will want a full report before we encounter it," she announced, her voice finally breaking through the silence.

"I'm sure that's not all Commander Chakotay wants," Icheb sneered. He couldn't help it. He'd come in today ready to ignore Seven and do his job, as soon as she brought up the Commander, however, he couldn't help but feel standoffish. Their relationship felt wrong to him, and the fact that they'd purposefully kept it from him only made him feel worse about the entire situation.

"That is highly improper and dangerously close to insubordination," Seven snapped loudly, her voice bouncing off the high ceilings. Icheb might be a teenager, but he still knew how to behave properly. There was no reason for him to act this way.

"Everything you've done for the past few months is improper," he challenged as he spun around to face her. "You're sleeping with your commanding officer, you're lying to your friends, you're keeping secrets not only from me but from the Captain. If anything, you are the one breaking the rules."

"You're out of place," Seven scolded. She absolutely refused to be treated this way, especially by Icheb of all people. They might be friends, but she was also technically his superior and should be treated accordingly. "I have tried speaking to you reasonably, I've tried giving you your space, and I don't know what else to do to help you confront your emotions. I'm sorry for not telling you about my relationship with Commander Chakotay, and I'm sorry for not telling you when I was released from sickbay, but there isn't anything I can do about it now. That is all in the past, and for you to hold on to these emotions is irrational and immature."

"Well I am a child," Icheb pointed out with hostility as he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. She opened her mouth to say that he wasn't a child, but he continued, "You even told me yourself that you see me as a child."

"I was wrong to have said that, you are a growing teenager, and I should have more aware of your feelings when I was released from sickbay. To force me to apologize repeatedly, however, is highly inefficient, as I am simply saying the same thing over and over again." There was a flicker of emotion on Icheb's face as he registered a hint of emotion, but just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. "I'm sorry, Icheb. Please forgive me." She took a few steps towards him.

"I don't know if I can trust you,"

"It has never been my intention to deceive you. I didn't tell you about Commander Chakotay because every member of this crew is entitled to privacy. I was going to tell you at the appropriate time when I returned from the away mission, but you found out before I could. I apologize for that too." His gaze softened. He could see the sincerity in her expression and hear it in her voice. Clearly this was something that had weighed heavily on her shoulders for quite some time now. "I want nothing more than for our relationship to resume as it was before all of this happened."

"I'm ready to make that happen, under one condition." Intrigued, she raised an eyebrow and waited to hear the conditions for his forgiveness. "No more secrets."

"No more secrets," she promised. A relieved smile immediately spread across her face as they were finally able to put this fight behind them. She could comply, it was a reasonable request, as they never had secrets from each other before. She shouldn't have lied to him in the first place. "Now, I need that report on the nebula for the Captain and Commander Chakotay."

"I'll get started right away." There was an extra bounce in Icheb's step as he followed Seven's orders. As soon as they cleared the air between them, he was able to get right back to work without any problems as if nothing had happened between them in the first place. It might have taken a while, but things were finally starting to get back to normal.

Kathryn couldn't help but laugh when she looked over at Chakotay as he attempted to read over the information on the computer console between their seats. He might be trying to focus while sitting next to her on the bridge, but she could see in his eyes the distant expression that told her that he was thinking about something else.

"You're still thinking about your plans for tonight, aren't you?" she asked, breaking him out of his trance. She made sure to keep her voice low so other members of the crew couldn't hear what they were talking about; a skill they'd managed to master years ago, essentially giving them privacy in the middle of a crowded space.

"No, of course not." He was a terrible liar. She gave him a stern look that told him that she didn't believe him for a second. She knew him better than that and didn't believe him for a second. "Okay, maybe a little bit. Seven's never been this secretive before. Normally our dates are simple, straightforward, although meticulously researched on her part." Kathryn couldn't help but crack a smile. Finding out that Seven researched what to do on her dates with Chakotay didn't surprise her at all. "We don't need a lot to enjoy each other's company, certainly nothing that involves this much planning."

"Let me give you a piece of advice." Chakotay hoped that the advice would really be a clue as to what Seven was planning, although he knew that that was a longshot. "Don't try to figure it out, because if you do, it'll just ruin the surprise."

"Or you could just tell me what she's planning, and I'll pretend to act surprised," he suggested. In a flash, her jovial expression changed to a stern one that told him that there was absolutely no way that was going to happen so he might as well forget about it now. "Or not." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Determined to figure out what Seven was planning, he began to daydream once again. With her, there was an infinite number of possibilities; she was a highly resourceful and creative person, whether others believed that or not. Unfortunately, that made his job significantly more difficult, as he had no idea what to expect for tonight.

Shortly after 1300 hours, Seven realized that she had to step out of Astrometrics for a few moments to take care of something for her plans tonight with Chakotay. She had been so wrapped up in her work and getting back on track after being gone for so long, as was her way, that she hadn't realized the time. If everything was to be perfect, then she had to leave now.

"I will be back," she announced as she handed the PADD in her hand over to Icheb. He gave her a confused look. It wasn't like her to leave during her assigned duty day; very rarely did she leave, even to eat lunch. She turned to leave, but Icheb trailed after her.

"Are you alright?" he asked eagerly with concern. While she had appeared to be fine and working at her usual high efficiency today, he couldn't help but worry. She'd spent the past week recovering from her ordeal, and, just like Chakotay, he was worried that she was pushing herself too much. He'd been keeping an eye on her from a distance all day, and as far as he could tell, everything appeared to be fine. She was also particularly skilled at hiding anything that was bothering her from others. On the other hand, he liked to think that he knew her well enough to know that if something were wrong, even if she wouldn't openly admit it. He wouldn't put it past her to make up a fallacy to leave the lab to rest so nobody thought she was weak or incapable of working just to keep up appearances.

"I am undamaged," Seven firmly assured. "I have a matter I need to attend to. I will return within half an hour."

"Do you need me to accompany you?" Straddling the doorway to the corridor, Seven turned to face him. The very notion of having someone to look after her put her on edge. She was a grown woman, able to run an errand without someone watching over her.

"I am fully capable of taking care of myself. I'll be back in half an hour. Continue on your work." The firm tone told him that that was an order. Icheb considered violating that order and following her anyway, but he ultimate decided against it. Things were finally getting better between them, and he didn't want to make them worse again.

With her usual confidence, Seven entered the mess hall. Stragglers from the lunch rush were scattered across the large room, finishing up their meals and enjoying a little bit of down time. Crewmen laughed, and dishes clinked, the usual sounds of any meal in the mess hall. As much as she enjoyed eating quiet meals with Chakotay in her quarters, Seven could understand the appeal of eating here as well. Due to the relatively small size of the crew, it was almost a guarantee to run into someone you knew, whether it was a close friend or an acquaintance you haven't seen in weeks due to your conflicting schedules. Seven wasn't here for any social reasons, so she paid little attention to those sitting around eating; she was here on a mission. She walked directly to the galley, where Chell was cleaning up from the lunch rush.

"Hello Seven," he chirped as he put a large bowl of leftovers away for anyone who came in later and wanted a bit of a snack. "What can I get for you? I have a delicious salad and some pot roast left from lunch."

"I do not require nourishment." Chell's face momentarily fell. "I am here to review the plans for tonight." He should have figured as much. Seven was always one for business and efficiency, and they'd been in constant communication the past few days as they put the finishing touches on her plan for tonight.

"Of course." Wiping his hands on his apron, he scurried out from behind the window to the galley and snatched up a nearby PADD. "I have the menu right here, but I haven't made many changes to it."

"But you have made some changes." She sounded unimpressed, which caused Chell to shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Being around Seven always made him nervous, but it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she used to be Borg. She had a very commanding personality, but it was made worse by the fact that she was scrutinizing everything he was doing.

"You, uhh, you asked me to," he pointed out meekly. She knew that, she had had her reasons for doing that, and now she was here to make sure everything was up to her exacting standards.

"I am aware of that." She held out her hand for the PADD, which he gladly handed over for her careful inspection. The desire for perfection consumed her more than usual, especially when it came to this. No detail, no matter how small or insignificant, would be overlooked. Even for her, the standards were ridiculously high, and she hoped she would be able to meet them.

No sooner did Seven have the PADD from Chell in her hand did the doors to the mess hall open, and Chakotay entered for a late lunch with Harry. Both men laughed at some sort of joke shared between them before they entered the room. As soon as he saw Seven, Chakotay abandoned his plan for food and instead headed right to her side. It was strange to see her in here, as she rarely ate meals in the mess hall unless she was with Naomi, who didn't appear to be anywhere in sight.

"Everything alright?" he asked as he put a supporting hand on the small of her back and mindlessly ran his thumb across the smooth fabric of her bodysuit. She immediately shut off the PADD before he could see what was on the screen, causing him to feel suspicious.

"I just finished eating lunch," she lied smoothly. Chell was impressed by how easy the lie came to her. She didn't bat an eye or at all seemed distressed that she was deceiving the First Officer, not to mention her lover. "And now I need to return to Astrometrics."

"Maybe you can spare a few minutes and join me," Chakotay suggested hopefully. As much as it pained him to do so, he'd resisted all urges to check on her throughout the morning, so this was his only chance to make sure she was alright. As far as he could tell, she looked fine, but he wanted to be sure. Today was a big day for her.

"That would be unwise. I have been away from the lab for too long." His face fell as all hopes of sharing a meal together were dashed. "I will see you at 1900 hours though." A smile formed when he remembered that they had a date planned for that evening. Suddenly, he didn't feel quite so crestfallen that she couldn't stay for lunch; they'd share a nice, quiet meal together later.

"I'll be ready," he promised. When he leaned in to kiss her cheek, she stepped away. There were too many people here, and she was determined to maintain some semblance of professionalism, at least while they were both on duty. There was a difference between walking down the hall hand in hand and kissing in the mess hall. One day, she knew she would feel comfortable with such public displays of affection, but not quite yet; she had to take baby steps. Instead, she kept the PADD from Chell in her hand and left to return to Astrometrics where she would review the information on it without Chakotay's prying eyes and return it to him as quickly as possible.

As she walked down the hall, Seven reviewed the information on the PADD. While Chell had made her requested changes to the menu, that left other alterations that needed to be made. It was close to perfect, but it wasn't quite there yet. She had to tell him about those changes, but if she returned to the mess hall, Chakotay would know she had been deceitful. It was imperative that she get the information to Chell as quickly as possible though, because as soon as Chakotay left, she knew he was going to start his preparations, which were extensive in such a short amount of time. If she didn't get the necessary alterations to him right away, she risked putting everything behind schedule. Suddenly, an idea dawned on her.

Seven tapped her combadge and said, "Seven of Nine to Naomi Wildman." With any luck, the child wouldn't be in the mess hall where Chakotay would hear her.

"Hiya, Seven, what's up?" Naomi chirped in her usual cheerful manner.

"I require your assistance. Please report to Astrometrics."

"Okay, I'm on my way. Naomi out." She pictured the child immediately abandoning whatever it was she was working on to help out her close friend, who she was always determined to please. She was the perfect person for this job. Satisfied, Seven continued on her way to Astrometrics. She had a lot to get done, and not a lot of time to accomplish all of it.

Moments after Seven returned to Astrometrics, Naomi rushed into the lab at full speed and skid to stop. If Seven asked her to interrupt her work, then she knew it had to be for something important. She immediately went over to Seven and draped herself along the console next to Seven while looking up at her with expectant eyes.

"What's up?" she asked as she bounced up and down slightly. It was always exciting coming to see Seven at work, although Naomi felt that way when she got to visit just about anyone at work. She wanted to know how every aspect of the ship worked, it was all a part of her plan to become Captain of _Voyager_ one day.

"I need you to take this to Chell in the mess hall," Seven responded as she picked up a nearby PADD and handed it over. Right when Naomi went to grab it, Seven moved it just out of her grip, causing the child's forehead to crease in frustration and confusion. "But there's a complication." The thought of a complication for such a simple errand excited Naomi. When Seven first summoned her to Astrometrics, she thought it would be for something boring, but now it sounded like some sort of exciting adventure; she couldn't wait to get started. "If Commander Chakotay is there, you can't tell him that it's from me."

"Who do I tell him it's from?"

"That is irrelevant. If Chell isn't near the Commander, then you can tell him it's from me, but if he is near the Commander, then you'll have to come up with a...cover story." Seven had heard the phrase several times in the past and never understood its use until now. Naomi carefully thought it over, it sounded easy enough. She was sure she could come up with some reason as to what was going on.

"Okay. Take the PADD to Chell and don't let Commander Chakotay know it's from you. I can do that," she promised with a large smile plastered across her face. Confident in Naomi's delivery abilities, Seven handed over the PADD and watched as the young girl skipped out of the lab with her hair flying behind her in her typical fashion. There was no doubt in her mind that she would find a way to be successful in this endeavor.

Even though it was a simple task, Naomi couldn't help but feel pride swelling up inside her as she continued to skip down the corridor to the turbolift. Of all the crew on the starship, Seven had picked her to deliver this PADD to Chell. Yes, it meant that she had to take a break from her studies, but she was sure that her mom would understand. Besides, she was getting bored just sitting around their quarters reading her PADDs; she'd been thinking of taking a break soon anyway. Often, people forgot that she was even here and fully capable of helping them out on their errands and jobs, but never Seven. Not only did she remember her, but she even sought her out when there were plenty of others all around her to run this errand.

When Naomi skipped into the mess hall, her face fell. Not only was Chell near Chakotay, he was sitting at the table laughing and having a snack with the First Officer and Harry while they ate their lunch. All of a sudden, her task became incredibly difficult, as she had no idea what type of cover story to use; she'd been so focused on how excited she was that she didn't think of one. Knowing she couldn't just stand in the doorway, which would arouse even more suspicion, Naomi entered the mess hall and approached the table.

"Hi Naomi," Harry greeted before taking a bite of his pot roast.

"Naomi." Chell was surprised to see her, she'd already been here to eat over an hour ago and then returned to her studies. He knew she was a growing girl, but there was no way she could be hungry already. "Are you hungry again?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm not hungry. I'm actually here to drop this off," she explained as she handed him the PADD from Seven. He clearly looked confused. He hadn't been expecting any sort of report. "It's, umm, from the Captain. It's her feedback on your proposed menu for next week." While Naomi didn't know a whole lot about how the mess hall ran, she knew from when Neelix was here that the Captain approved the menu every week to ensure resources were being properly allocated and the crew's dietary needs were being met. She had no idea if the Captain had seen the suggested menu for the following week, it was the only cover story she could think of right now.

"The Captain?" Chakotay repeated in confusion. "Why didn't she just give it to me and Harry when we came down?" While the Captain was known to send Naomi on small errands, there was something about her story that he simply didn't believe. To his knowledge, the child had a large project to work on that was taking up the majority of her free time and prevented her from fulfilling her unofficial role as Captain's assistant. Besides, it would have been significantly easier to just send the approved menu down with him, Kathryn knew he and Harry were coming down here.

"To you?" Her eyes grew wide as she tried to think of a plausible explanation. "Umm, she forgot about it." Once the words came out, they began to tumble out with more speed and confidence. "You know, the Captain is a very busy woman, which is why she has to rely on her assistant to help her." She looked at each man to ascertain if they bought her story. They all seemed to believe her, although there was still a little bit of skepticism in Chakotay's eyes. He would simply have to deal with his doubts. "I need to go, I have to finish a big project. Bye." With one last smile and cheerful wave, she rushed out of the mess hall before anyone could question her story any further. The last thing she wanted was more questions, as then her story would undoubtedly fall apart.

As she returned to her quarters to work on her project, Naomi started to feel a little guilty. She'd just lied to the First Officer on _Voyager_ , which was technically a court martial offense. Having been so caught up in the moment, that realization hadn't dawned on her right away. Now that she had time to think about what she'd done, she realized the severity of her actions. There was one consolation that kept her from having a complete meltdown: with the exception of Commander Tuvok, Seven wouldn't have asked her to bend the rules a little bit without her reasons. For that reason, Naomi knew that it was alright. Besides, she hadn't lied about anything serious.

After a quick lunch, Chakotay and Harry returned to the bridge to finish the rest of their duty for the day. Chakotay sat down next to Kathryn with a sigh. Everything looked just as calm and relaxing as when he'd left for lunch. While some crewmen might complain about not having anything to do during slow days such as this, he'd gladly take this over facing off against the Borg, Kazon or Vidiians.

"Why didn't you give me Chell's menu when I went down to the mess hall?" he asked Kathryn out of the blue.

"Excuse me?" Based on her expression, it was clear that she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, which was strange.

"Naomi came down to the mess hall with a PADD and said that you sent her down with feedback for his menu for next week." She shook her head.

"I haven't seen Naomi all day." It was rather strange actually. Usually she showed up in her ready room at some point to bring her coffee or see if she could do anything to help her. So far today, however, she hadn't been anywhere near the bridge but was instead being kept busy with other projects on _Voyager_.

"But she came down and handed Chell a PADD, saying it was from you."

"I promise, I didn't send him a PADD. I haven't even looked over his proposed menu for next week, I've had more important things to look over."

"Then who was the PADD from?" Chakotay shifted uncomfortably as he pondered the mystery. It wasn't like Naomi to lie, she was nearly as obsessed with the rules as Tuvok. Seeing as she was just a child, it was hardly worth pursuing. Besides, he wasn't here to parent her, that was Sam's job.

Later that evening, Kathryn carefully examined herself in the mirror. Very rarely did she need to wear anything other than her Starfleet uniform. Right now, she wore a camisole and underwear while she tried to determine to fix her hair. Of course, that would depend on what dress she ultimately decided to wear. As she walked out to her bedroom, she glanced at the dress she laid out on her bed. When she thought about it, she wasn't sure if that was the one she wanted to wear. She was about to return to her closet to dig around for another dress when her doorbell rang. She sighed; it looked like that would have to wait.

"Enter," she called as she pulled on her usual pink robe and walked into the living room. The door opened, and Seven breezed inside.

As soon as she saw the Captain in her robe, she asked, "Is this a bad time?" Normally, Kathryn would be bothered by the impropriety of a crewman seeing her in her robe, but there was something different about her relationship with Seven that made her feel that it was acceptable.

"No, I was just trying to figure out what I wanted to wear tonight." She paused for a moment. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"I just left the mess hall, where Chell is working to put the finishing touches on everything." As Seven stood with her arms folded behind her back, she shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, instantly telling Kathryn that something was bothering her.

"You're nervous about tonight, aren't you?"

"I am, but right now I am more concerned about what to wear. I don't think one of my usual bodysuits would be appropriate attire."

"You wear whatever is comfortable for you, but if you're looking for wardrobe advice, I can help you pick something. If I remember correctly, the Doctor has designed a series of outfits for you in the replicator database."

"I already looked through the database twice and couldn't decide. Fashion is not my area of expertise."

"Well, let's have a look together then." Kathryn motioned towards the replicator on the far wall, indicating that Seven was free to make herself comfortable and use it to scroll through her wardrobe choices. The Doctor had extensively researched wardrobe choices when creating the choices for Seven, so there had to be something in there that would be suitable for tonight.

As Seven scrolled through the wardrobe choices, she felt the same anxiety she felt earlier. While all the dresses were very attractive, she didn't feel that any of them were perfect for her plans for tonight. Tonight's dress had to reflect a certain something, and it was difficult to tell from a small picture if the dress would do that. Feeling discouraged, she crossed her arms over her chest and took a step back.

"None of these dresses are suitable for tonight," she announced with frustration as she shook her head.

"I don't know, Seven, I think this one is nice," Kathryn commented as she scrolled back to the appropriate dress she was talking about. Seven's face told her that she disagreed. "What's wrong with it? I know it's simple, but it's very elegant. I think Chakotay will like it."

"It's black," Seven pointed out bluntly. "Black is usually reserved for somber moments, not birthdays."

"Black is considered a very elegant color, Seven. But if you don't like it, that's easy enough to fix." With expert fingers, Kathryn accessed the information file for the dress in question. "What color would you like?" Seven stopped to think. She never really thought about what color she wanted to wear, she simply grabbed a bodysuit and wore it without thinking about what color it was, which would be a highly inefficient use of time. There was never a need to put so much emphasis on her clothes.

"Commander Chakotay has commented that I look, I believe his word was 'ravishing', in burgundy." Kathryn smiled. She could easily believe that he would say that. He was always the type of person ready to shower others with compliments, especially the women in his life.

"Burgundy it is then." With a few taps of her fingers, the dress changed from black to burgundy. "How's that?" she asked as she turned to face Seven. Based on the young woman's expression, she could tell that she approved. With a few more taps, the dress materialized in the regenerator, neatly folded and ready to wear. Kathryn picked up the dress and handed it over to Seven. "You can change here if you want." The younger woman thought about the offer. It would be nice to change here, that way the Captain could make any alterations to the dress if necessary.

"Thank you." She took the dress and retreated to the bathroom for some privacy. On her way, she couldn't help but glance at the dress the Captain laid out on her bed. It was a very elegant forest green floor length gown. Seven had considered a longer dress like hers but ultimately decided against it because she found them restrictive and difficult to move in. The dress she selected came to her knees, which she found an adequate length; long enough to cover her but also short enough to allow her to move freely.

Several minutes later, Seven emerged from the bathroom and stood in front of Kathryn. While the Captain scrutinized their handiwork, the younger woman tugged self-consciously at the bottom of her dress; it was shorter than she originally anticipated. The few times she wore dresses, they were longer than this, and the slit up one of the sides made it feel even shorter. When she looked at the dress on the regenerator, it didn't appear that short, but now that she wore it, she wished it was just a few centimeters longer.

"I think we did a pretty good job," Kathryn commented proudly. She handed over a pair of strappy black sandals. Seven looked confused. She hadn't thought about what shoes she would wear, so she was glad the Captain was one step ahead of her.

"Thank you." When she sat down to put on the shoes, the dress rode up even more, causing her to try and pull it down but to no avail. "You have been extremely helpful the past week as I prepare for tonight."

"It's been my pleasure to help you. I've kept Chakotay busy on the bridge until 1830 hours, which will give him just enough time to be ready." With her shoes strapped on, Seven stood up. While she was used to the heels on her boots, those heels were thicker and provided her with more support, especially around her ankles. These shoes had narrow heels and provided her with no support. They were highly inefficient for everyday use, so it was no wonder women on board hardly wore them, even for special events such as this.

"You look wonderful," Kathryn gushed. "I know Chakotay will think so too." Seven looked down at the dress. She certainly hoped so. She'd put hours into planning for tonight, looking over every last detail to ensure it was a success.

In his quarters, Chakotay carefully examined his appearance in the bathroom mirror. He had no idea what Seven had in mind for tonight, so he hoped his brown slacks and dark green button down shirt were sufficient. There were so few opportunities for him to dress in something other than his Starfleet uniform, and it felt strange but oddly refreshing. He was sure that if his outfit to night wasn't appropriate, Seven would tell him and make him change. She was the one running the show tonight, which was actually exciting. Every date with her was something different; they'd been on a picnic, tried some home cooking in his quarters and even stargazed in the Astrometrics lab with the help of the large screen. That one was Chakotay's idea, and it happened to be his favorite. While some people might think that dating on a starship might get boring with such few options for places to go, some of the best dates of his life were here with Seven, as it forced them to get creative and think outside the box. Because of that, he had no idea what she had planned for tonight.

The door to his quarters opened, drawing Chakotay's attention. He looked himself over in the mirror one last time before going to greet Seven. As soon as he walked out of the bedroom and saw her, however, he froze. She looked statuesque in her burgundy cocktail dress and simple black sandals. The tank top dress had a V-neck that teased him with a glimpse of her full breasts. Just like her bodysuit, the fabric clung to her torso until it flared out into a skirt that ended at her knees. As if the V-neck wasn't enough to tease him, the slit up one side of the dress revealed the pale, flawless flesh underneath. Caught up in the dress, Chakotay didn't notice that her hair tumbled to her shoulders in gentle waves, forming a golden halo of sorts. While she was used to people staring at her, there was something different about how he looked at her. She didn't care what other people thought about her appearance, but she wanted to make sure she looked presentable for him.

"Do I look alright?" Seven asked as she self-consciously smoothed her hands along her dress as if attempting to make it just a little bit longer. He opened and closed her mouth several times as he attempted to regain himself.

"You look absolutely stunning," he replied. He took her hand and spun her around slowly. A smile spread across her face as she complied. Her dress flowed around her. Previously she'd been uncomfortable with how high the dress was, but she didn't care right now. "I'm tempted to say that we should just stay in for the night, but I'd hate for that beautiful dress to go to waste."

"Perhaps when we return, we can do what you have in mind." A smile spread across Chakotay's face, causing his dimples to appear. He certainly hoped there would be time after their date for what he wanted as well. She smiled coyly and looked at him through her veiled eyelashes.

"I think I can arrange that." He kissed her softly.

"Then let's go," he murmured against her lips. He pulled away and offered her his arm in his usual gentlemanly fashion. She was about to take his arm when she looked at the clock on the wall, she realized that they couldn't leave quite yet. Her careful planning had created a very strict schedule to adhere to, and if they left right now, they would be ahead of schedule, which would be highly problematic. For that reason, she didn't take his arm. Confusion flashed across his face. "Something wrong?" he asked. Seven knew she had to think fast, if she just said that they couldn't leave yet without any sort of explanation, it would cause him to grow suspicious. Her mind whirred as she tried to think of some sort of reason for them not to leave quite yet.

"Your pants...they're wrinkled," she observed. While they were a little wrinkled, it was hardly worth pointing out. Seven was desperate to think of a reason, no matter how pathetic it might seem. Chakotay glanced down at his pants. From where he stood, they looked fine from where he stood. Of course, in her quest for absolute perfection in everything she did, she might have noticed something he didn't.

"This shirt doesn't go with any of my other of my clean pants," he commented.

"Then you will have to change your shirt as well." Her tone was firm, telling him that he could try to argue with her, but it would be an exercise in futility. One look in her gorgeous blue eyes told him that he might as well save himself the trouble and comply. Tonight, she was the boss.

"Okay," he relented. "Do you want to pick out my clothes for me?"

"I am sure you are fully capable of picking out your own clothes-"

"As long as they're properly pressed." She nodded in agreement. With a sigh of frustration, Chakotay returned to his closet to find a more suitable outfit. As he did so, he couldn't help but feel like a small child being sent back to complete a task his mother thought wasn't done correctly.

Five minutes later, Chakotay returned. He held his arms out and turned around, giving Seven a chance to inspect his outfit. Now he wore a pair of charcoal slacks and dark blue button down shirt. In all honesty, she preferred this outfit to his previous one, although she hadn't sent him back because his pants were wrinkled, she just needed to buy some more time. With the five minutes it took him to change, they were right on schedule to leave.

"Does this meet your approval?" he asked as his arms fell to his side. He was frustrated with her, she could hear it in his voice. She would be too if she were in shoes, but she had her reasons for her behavior. He'd figure it all soon enough, and everything would make sense.

"Your outfit is appropriate for our date," she replied. "Now we can leave." As she spoke, she held out her hand. For a second, she thought he wouldn't take it, so she was relieved to feel his warm hand take hers, giving it a playful squeeze in the process. If he was mad at her, he did a good job at hiding it.

Chakotay laced his fingers with Seven's as they walked down the corridor together. With every step they took, curiosity built up inside of him. While he loved the dates that she planned and the surprises that came with them, there was something about this one that drove him especially crazy. Clearly this one was different from the rest, and he couldn't figure out what they were going to do.

"So are you going to give me any hint about this date?" he asked.

"That would ruin the surprise," Seven replied matter of factly.

"Not even the smallest hint?" he pressed eagerly. He looked like an excited little child, and Seven couldn't help but feel proud knowing that she was the reason for that excitement.

"Not even the smallest hint."

"A hint would be irrelevant, because we've arrived." They slowed to a stop, which only caused Chakotay to grow even more confused.

"Umm, I hate to break it to you, _muñeca_ , but we're at the mess hall."

"I am aware of where we are. This is where are date is." Now Chakotay had absolutely no idea what was going on here. Going to the mess hall was hardly reason to dress up, especially as nice as they were. He half expected her to take him to the holodeck for a romantic dinner somewhere. In fact, he expected her to take him anywhere but the mess hall. Seven kept a tight grip on his hand as she opened the door and pulled him inside. Still trying to figure out what was going on, he complied. The mess hall was nearly pitch black, the only lights coming from the stars and systems whirring past the wall of windows to his right. Confused Chakotay turned to Seven for some sort of explanation.

Right as he opened his mouth to ask what was going on, all the lights turned on, momentarily blinding him, and a chorus of voices exclaimed, "Surprise!"

 **Author's Note:** I'm so sorry about not posting sooner! Over the course of a month, I met the most wonderful guy (who quotes Star Trek, added bonus!), went back to work (I'm a teacher) and went back to grad school (only one more class left!). So, it's been pretty crazy! There are only 2 more chapters left for this, but I have several more up my sleeve. I hope you enjoyed it and leave a review.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Laughing and shaking his head in disbelief, Chakotay took several steps backwards but kept Seven's hand firmly clasped in his. Of all the things he thought she had planned over the past few days, he never expected something as elaborate as this. He honestly thought that they were getting ready to have a wonderfully quiet evening on some sort of romantic date, but clearly that wasn't going to happen, at least not tonight. It looked like over half the crew had crammed themselves into the mess hall, and he figured that many more would stop by at some point during the evening. Pinned along the window was a large banner that read "Happy Birthday Commander Chakotay" in childlike, multicolor letters. It was easy to assume that Naomi had designed the banner herself. Suddenly, Chakotay got the feeling that the child didn't have a large project for school she'd been working on the past few days but instead had been working on the banner.

"Did you plan this all on your own?" he asked as he pulled Seven close and kissed her cheek softly, ignoring the fact that all eyes were on them at that exact moment.

"I did have considerable help from members of the crew," she replied, not wanting to take all the credit herself. It really had been a team effort, and without the help of the crew, this party wouldn't have happened.

"Well I'm not kissing all of them."

"Oh come on, Commander, I was promised a kiss for all my hard work," Tom called from the other side of the mess hall where he stood with a half empty beer in his hand. Chakotay rolled his eyes. He had a feeling that that wasn't Tom's first drink of the night, and it definitely wouldn't be his last either.

"That's why you have B'Elanna," he pointed out bluntly. Tom scrunched his face in mock protest as he took a long drink of beer. B'Elanna scoffed at her husband's reaction and swatted at his arm. Undeterred, he swung his arm around her shoulders and attempted to steal a kiss from her, but she wiggled away and somehow managed to break free.

With her arms outstretched and a smile plastered across her face, Kathryn approached Chakotay and Seven. He reluctantly let go of Seven's hand so he could give his best friend a hug and return the kiss on the cheek she gave him. She rubbed his broad back and pulled away with a smile still etched on her face.

"Seven has been working incredibly hard on planning this surprise party for you," she explained., her voice full of pride at her protege and all the effort she'd put forth over the past few days.

"I can see that, but my birthday isn't until tomorrow," he pointed out softly so Seven wouldn't hear. Knowing her penchant for perfection, he didn't want her to overhear and become upset.

"She knows that, but starting tomorrow you have a three day vacation." He opened his mouth to protest, but Kathryn put up her hand to stop him. "Don't you dare try to argue with me, it's all been arranged. _Voyager_ will be able to survive without you. This is my birthday present to you." Kathryn was about to argue that they survived while he and the rest of the away team were stranded but ultimately decided against it, as it would probably make matters worse.

"I thought we agreed that I'd take a vacation after you do." She stopped to think.

"So we did. Alright, I'll take a vacation as soon as you get back." They both knew that that wasn't going to happen. If she couldn't even make it down to sickbay for her yearly physical, there was no way she'd even consider taking a few days off. He would have to find a way into tricking her into taking a vacation, but he could save that for when he got back from his mysterious vacation.

While Chakotay spoke to Kathryn, Seven politely excused herself and went to grab herself a drink. After spending the past few days stressing and trying to pull together the perfect surprise party while simultaneously keeping it a secret from Chakotay, she felt relieved. It had been a surprising amount of work, far more than she initially expected. When she saw the birthday parties and other celebrations in the mess hall and on the holodeck, she never gave much thought about how they were planned. In her mind, they simply happened, and those who were invited showed up. Now that she planned one, however, she realized just how much work it was. It gave her a new appreciation for all the work Chell did, as he was the one who usually organized these functions now that Neelix was gone.

Feeling festive, Seven grabbed a flute of champagne and took a drink. The bubbly liquid tickled as she swallowed, almost instantly making her head swim despite the fact that she only took a small sip. She much prefered wine to champagne, as the fizz felt strange to her, but this was a special occasion, so she could adapt.

As she began to take another sip, Tom appeared at her side and quipped, "I thought Borg didn't drink."

"I have adapted," she stated simply. "Although I am not a fan of champagne."

"Well, lucky for you, Chell made sure to fully stock the bar, so you can take your pick." As he spoke, Tom slid behind the countertop that served as a makeshift bar for all the partygoers. "So, what'll it be?"

"Commander Chakotay and I normally drink wine."

"Wine it is then. Red or white?" She stopped to think. There were many food choices tonight, and either white or red wine could go with a wide variety of the food. It would be too difficult to try to match up the food to the choices, so she might as well go with the type of wine she preferred.

"Red." He poured a gracious glass of red wine, far more than she would have poured herself, and handed it over.

"Now, I know you're Borg and everything, but make sure to enjoy yourself." For a split second, he caught B'Elanna's eye. After their conversation this morning, she didn't seem bothered by his interactions with Seven. She gave her husband a small, flirty smile before turning her attention back to her conversation with Harry. He knew they were fine now.

As Chakotay spoke to Kathryn, he saw Icheb talking to several other crewmen on the far side of the mess hall. It surprised him to see the teenager there, acting as if everything was fine with him. To his knowledge, he and Seven still weren't on speaking terms, although he certainly hoped that they had found a way to resolve their issues while working together in Astrometrics today. Chakotay politely excused himself from Kathryn to talk to Icheb.

"Commander," Icheb greeted in his usual formal manner that was reminiscent of Seven's behavior as he gave him a curt nod. The way his eyes narrowed, and his shoulders bristled told him that he still wasn't happy with him, and he was simply going through the motions the appearance's sake. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you, and thank you for coming. I know the past few weeks haven't been easy for you, and I should have been more aware of how you were doing."

"You're First Officer, you hardly have the time to concern yourself with the emotional well being of every crewman on this ship." Chakotay shook his head.

"That's where you're wrong. If the Captain has taught me anything, it's that the emotional well being of the crew is of the utmost importance. If your crew is struggling, even if it's just one person, it's your job to fix it, and I failed. I know if I had been the one in sickbay, you would have been there for Seven, and I should have been there for you." Icheb could see the sincerity and turmoil in Chakotay's dark eyes. Part of him felt guilty for how he acted. The Commander had enough on his mind, and he shouldn't have made things worse by making such a scene with Seven. If anything, he'd made things worse, and now he had to make things better.

"Despite what Seven believes, nobody's perfect, not even you. Seven and I have made our amends, and I appreciate your apology as well." Chakotay smiled slightly and clapped Icheb on the back. There was something about knowing that he wasn't angry with either of them anymore that allowed him to enjoy the party just a little bit more.

When Chakotay turned to continue on his rounds throughout the room, he came face to face with Aritlin. The newcomer looked obviously uncomfortable in a room where nearly everyone was a stranger, but it still meant a lot that he came. He was starting to find his niche aboard _Voyager_ , just like Neelix, Seven and eventually Icheb had. It hadn't been an easy task for any of them, but eventually they were accepted as valued members of the crew. In a few months, it would be hard to imagine _Voyager_ without Aritlin.

"Aritlin," Chakotay exclaimed in surprise. "Thank you for coming." He extended his hand, which Aritlin shook uncomfortably. He was starting to grow slightly more comfortable with the human custom, but it still seemed strange to him. His people bowed as a greeting, but not these humans.

"When Seven invited me, I knew I couldn't turn it down." He looked around, trying to take it all in. Between the food, decorations and sheer number of people crammed into the mess hall, it was an overwhelming sensation. "This is really nice. I've never seen anything like this before. Do you do this for all celebrations?"

"It depends on the celebration. Some birthday parties are smaller, it really depends on the person."

"What about the hiding and jumping out?" There was a sparkle of excitement in Aritlin's topaz eyes. Clearly he'd never experienced anything like that before, and it had been exhilarating, although, at first, he didn't exactly understand why they had been doing that. Chakotay smiled and shook his head.

"It's called a surprise party. They're one way we celebrate birthdays on Earth." Aritlin's eyes grew wide with surprise.

"There are more ways?" he pressed eagerly, vying for more information on the strange customs on the far away planet.

"There are many ways to celebrate. Usually small children have their friends over, they play games, eat food and spend time together. When it comes to adults, it really depends on what they like. Some don't do anything, some go out with their family and maybe some friends, others have large parties; it varies from person to person and from year to year." He paused, allowing the information to sink in. "How do your people celebrate birthdays?"

"We don't," Aritlin stated matter of factly. Chakotay could see the disappointment in his eyes. Now that he knew it was acceptable to celebrate birthdays, he couldn't believe what his people had been missing out on for countless generations. "Once a Kalrussian is born, the family has a celebration and makes a sacrifice to the gods in thanksgiving, but that's it. The concept of tracking how many years you've been alive and celebrating year and after is very strange."

"So your people don't even keep track of your age?" As an anthropologist and archaeologist, Chakotay found all of this fascinating. Yes, they'd encountered several other alien species who were similar to Aritlin's, and he found them equally as interesting as he tried to understand a culture so different from his own. Aritlin shook his head.

"No, although now I wish I knew how old I was so I could participate in such a custom."

"Trust me, after a while, you don't want to remember how old you are," Chakotay assured. He'd stopped thinking about his birthday years ago, although Kathryn usually went out of her way to do something nice for him. At this point, it was little more than a visual reminder of another year passing in the Delta Quadrant. Since this was where the people he cared about were, though, he was hardly complaining.

Chakotay's stomach grumbled, reminding him that he was hungry. He'd been so caught up in socializing that he forgot that he hadn't eaten since his quick lunch with Harry and Chell nearly seven hours ago. A large buffet stretched on several tables pushed together along the wall of windows. Upon careful examination of the food, he discovered that it was all his favorite dishes and snacks, artfully arranged for everyone to help themselves whenever they saw fit.

As Chakotay grabbed a plate to help himself, Chell appeared behind him and said, "Seven overlooked every last detail." The First Officer couldn't help but chuckle as he served himself. That didn't surprise him at all. Everything looked and smelled delicious, prompting to take a little bit of everything.

"That's usually how she is," he pointed out.

"I know, but I thought that she'd bt a little less controlling with this. She was in here this afternoon putting making some last minute changes, and by some I mean at least a dozen. She had me running around the galley like a madman. It's a miracle I got it all done in time." Suddenly, everything began to click into place. Seven had been in the mess hall when he came in to look over the menu one last time, not eat lunch. Knowing her, she skipped lunch to be more efficient and make up for all the time she missed while she was sick. No wonder she had acted so strange, he simply attributed it to the stress of being back, although she would point out that she's Borg and therefore doesn't get stressed. Chakotay took a bite of pasta salad. It was probably the best he'd had in a very long time.

"Well, everything's delicious," he complimented. He hated to admit it, but Chell's cooking was an improvement over Neelix's, who always wanted to experiment with new, crazy food combinations usually involving leola root. "Even if Seven put you through the wringer." A large smile spread across Chell's face. All the stress he'd felt preparing all this food instantly melted away when he knew Chakotay enjoyed it. He'd suffered through all of this for his beloved leader who had gotten him and the rest of the crew through so much over the years.

Laughter and chatter rippled through the mess hall. While such noise was fairly normal in the room, which always seemed to be the social hub of the starship, it was especially louder with the sheer number of people and addition of large amounts of food and alcohol available. There were so many people crammed into the room that it was difficult to move even a few feet without having to twist and turn to dodge people and plates. As she analyzed the situation, Seven thought that she should have insisted on throwing the party on the holodeck, perhaps at Chez Sandrine's. The idea had come up several times while she planned the celebration, but she ultimately decided against it. On hindsight, however, she realized that that was a mistake. Next time they had a celebration like this, she would keep this in mind. She should have figured that so many people would want to come celebrate Chakotay's birthday; he wasn't just any random crew member, he was the First Officer and a close friend to many members of the crew.

Ever the showman and host, Chakotay laughed and chatted with every person in attendance. He hated the thought of not personally thanking everyone who came to the party, as they took the time out of their evening to come, so it was the least he could do. When he looked across the room, however, he saw Seven standing along the fringes of the party against the far wall, just like she usually was. He had hoped that she would be more involved, especially since she was the one who organized the party in the first place. Although being the life of the party wasn't exactly Seven's forte.

"Excuse me." He pardoned himself from the small cluster of crewmen he was talking to so he could check on Seven. "You should be very proud of yourself," he commented as he materialized in front of her. She looked confused.

"Explain."

"You organized the perfect party and managed to keep it all a secret from me."

"I hope you're not upset with my deception." Unable to help himself, Chakotay slid an arm around her waist and drew her close. Her hands instinctively rested on his broad shoulders as their bodies fit together perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle. Despite the fact they were in a crowded room, everyone else temporarily melted away as they entered their own little world.

"Not in the least," he assured before leaning down to kiss her softly.

The blissfully romantic moment was interrupted by Tom yelling from across the room, "Why don't the two of you get a room?" In an instant, all conversation in the mess hall halted as all eyes turned to the couple. Seven's face blushed bright red as she dipped her head in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, her loose hair forming a makeshift curtain that did very little to actually hide her expression. Chakotay, on the other hand, just flashed everyone a guilty grin. He had nothing to feel embarrassed for, he had every right to kiss his girlfriend.

"You're one to talk," he shot back. "If memory serves, you and B'Elanna have been caught in nearly every corridor, room and jefferies tube." Although Tom gave the outward appearance of being unbothered by the retort, the faint pink that crept across his cheeks told everyone that he was embarrassed as well. He opened and closed his mouth several times in an attempt to come up with some sort of insult to throw back, but nothing came to mind. In a rare turn of events, Tom Paris was speechless. The realization caused laughter to ripple across the mess hall as all the partygoers realized what had happened. After all these years, Tom should know that while Chakotay was usually quiet and reserved, he was still a force to be reckoned with when it came to smart comebacks. If anything, he set himself up to be called out like that and deserved the teasing retort. Even after being together for several years and having a child together, he and B'Elanna were still known to be found in compromising positions all over the ship.

Despite the fact that she felt embarrassed for being caught, Seven didn't let go of Chakotay. Instead, one of her arms slid around his neck comfortably while her hand rested on his chest. His heart beat steadily beneath her touch. While she'd always tried to draw a line between their professional and romantic relationships, she could see the appeal of such romantic gestures. There was a sense of flattery that came with having Chakotay's arms around her and knowing that everyone else now knew they were an item. Besides, it was a relief not having to sneak around everywhere. While there were perks not having people know, she could see the benefits of coming clean as well. Now that they had done so, she couldn't imagine keeping something like a secret ever again.

After nearly two hours, the party was in full swing and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. The food and alcohol flowed freely, adding to the merriment that always came when large numbers of the crew gathered together for any sort of celebration. The close relationship amongst all the crew ensured that every time they gathered together, a good time was guaranteed. The laughter and merriment helped Seven relax and she did her best to engage in small talk, which was arguably one of the social lessons she still struggled with. The jovial atmosphere, combined with the fact that every time she finished a glass of wine, some put a fresh glass in her hand, helped her relax significantly more than she usually did. Clutching half a glass of wine in her hand, she sat on one of the couches gathered together in a small cluster with Harry, B'Elanna and Tom, laughing as the men recounted their latest adventures as Captain Proton and Buster Kincaid.

"So Doctor Chaotica has us right where he wants us," Tom explained before taking a long drink of his beer. "And then he won't shut up. I mean the man won't shut up. We have no weapons, we're tied up, he has his death ray pointed right at us, and he's rambling on and on about how he's the greatest villain in the world for capturing us."

"Maybe he thought you two gave up too easily and wanted to give you guys a chance to escape so you could really fight him," B'Elanna suggested.

"No, he's not that smart," Harry pointed out in a tone that gave away that he was equally annoyed by the villain's grandiose tendencies..

"Especially if Tom is the one who designed him," Seven quipped in the usual deadpan way she told jokes. Silence fell over the quartet as they processed that she had insulted Tom. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence that made Seven feel that she had crossed some sort of line, B'Elanna and Harry burst into boisterous laughter, instantly assuaging the young woman's doubts that she had done something wrong.

"First your boyfriend, and now you, when did this turn into insult Tom Paris day?" Tom grumbled. B'Elanna gave his knee a reassuring pat.

"That's every day, babe, we just don't always say it to your face," she commented, causing him to roll his eyes and sit back in his seat as if he were sulking. His eyes told a different story, giving away the fact that he was well aware that it was all in good fun. He just wasn't used to the jokes to come from Seven, she was usually the quiet one.

From where he stood, the Doctor couldn't help but admire Seven and all the social graces she exhibited. It might have taken several years, but she finally fit in completely and seemed more at ease in these large social gatherings. She seemed completely at ease in the large social setting and even went so far as to joke and tease other members of the crew without missing a beat. Had a stranger passed through, he wouldn't have even been able to guess that Seven used to struggle with even the most basic of social interactions. Not only had the crew come embrace her as a valued member on _Voyager_ , but she finally found her place. He couldn't be happier for her, it meant that all their hard work paid off, and now he could sit back and watch as she enjoyed herself.

As much as she hated to interrupt the joyful conversation Seven was having, Kathryn came up behind the young woman and whispered something in her ear. The blonde's face immediately grew serious as she nodded, leaving Tom, Harry and B'Elanna to wonder what in the world the two of them could be talking about.

"Very well," she stated with a curt nod, although there was a certain sense of discomfort in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Kathryn gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before disappearing into the crowd once again. With her wine glass in hand, she took a knife off the table in front of her and stood to her feet. She tapped the knife against the side of her glass. The high pitched _clinking_ floated over the cacophony of noise. After several moments of shushing, the mess hall was silent. "I would like to propose a toast." She paused for a moment to let everyone find their respective glasses or grab a fresh glass so they could participate. Wide eyed, Aritlin looked confused as he looked around, trying to figure out what in the world was going on. Just like birthday parties, his people didn't participate in such a strange custom. Thankfully, Chell leaned over and whispered in his ear what was going on. As soon as he figured it out, Aritlin jumped slightly and scrambled to find a glass so he could participate with everyone else. "To Commander Chakotay." With a coy smile, she turned to face Chakotay, who was smiling as well. "May his wisdom and courage continue to guide us on our journey home for many years."

"To Commander Chakotay," the partygoers echoed as they all raised their glasses and drank to their beloved First Officer.

With his arm slung around B'Elanna's shoulders, Tom bellowed, "Speech! Speech!" The smile instantly disappeared from Chakotay's face at the prospect of having to make an impromptu speech. Public speaking wasn't exactly one of his areas of expertise. However, once Tom started to get the crowd started, others joined in as well until there was a chorus of requests for a speech. Kathryn couldn't help but laugh. She could see the discomfort on his face and found it undeniably amusing. There was no way he could talk his way out of this one now.

"Fine," Chakotay relented, his baritone voice easily carrying over the chorus of voices. "Fine." He sighed. Seeing as he hadn't even known about this party, there was no way for him to have prepared something to say to all his guests. He would have to give a speech off the cuff and hope for the best. Looking for a little bit of liquid courage, he drained the last few sips of his glass and put it on the counter behind him. "Uhhh…" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, attempting to buy just a few more seconds to think of something to say. Seven found his discomfort adorable, she thought he never looked more handsome when he looked flustered. "First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for coming. This was definitely a surprise. I'd also like to thank Seven. I'm the luckiest man in the galaxy to have such a wonderful woman." A few "awws" rippled across the crowd, accompanied by Tom pretending to wretch, prompting B'Elanna to smack him. He chuckled and pressed his lips against her cheek, but she only rolled her eyes. "The past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for some of us, but if anything it's brought us closer together and reminded me why _Voyager_ is so much more than a starship, it's our home and where our family is. I'm so fortunate to have such a wonderful family who would give up their evening to be crammed into a small mess hall after a long day of work."

"We're here because we were promised cake," Tom announced, prompting Chakotay to roll his eyes now.

"And just remember, no matter how much you drink, Tom Paris, many of you have the early shift tomorrow." Tom raised his glass to Chakotay before taking a drink. Between his shifts on the bridge and his shifts in sickbay, he almost never had free time in the evening, and he was determined to enjoy it as much as possible. The partygoers chuckled, which gave Chakotay the perfect excuse to end his brief speech; it hadn't been as bad as he thought

With the toast and speech over, Seven figured now would be as good a time as any for Chell to bring out the cake he'd spent all afternoon preparing, along with the rest of the food everyone was enjoying. She motioned for him to get the cake. His eyes bright with excitement, he scurried into the galley and returned with a large cake. Like most birthday cakes on _Voyager_ , it was covered with blue and purple swirls to represent space, along with white specks as stars. Unlike all the other cakes, however, this was a huge sheet cake, easily big enough to feed every single person at the party several times over. It had to be the largest cake anyone had ever seen in their lives. While Chakotay was certainly impressed with everything, the cake took his breath away. The cake was an impressive culinary feat.

All he could say was "Wow." With the help of two other crewmen, Chell carried the cake to the table where the food was. The crowd parted, allowing them easy access. Several partygoers cleared off as many of the empty food platters as possible to give them space for the cake. On his way over to the cake, Chakotay made a pitstop to grab Seven. Since she was the one who had put so much thought and effort into this party, he wanted her to enjoy it with him. She laced her fingers with his as they walked over to the cake together. Chell busied himself assembling a handful of candles on the cake while Kathryn went behind him to light them. "Chell, you've really outdone yourself with this one. If it tastes half as good as it looks, we're all in trouble." Everyone chuckled. Once he got closer to the cake, Chakotay carefully counted out the candles. There were only twelve. "Umm, you're missing a few candles," he pointed out. Seven wrapped an arm around his waist and looked up at him. Her usually bright blue eyes were rimmed with red, telling him that she had had her fair share of drinks tonight. Normally, that would cause him to worry, but he was just glad that she was having a good time like everyone else.

"My research told me that most people do not appreciate putting their age on their cake," she explained. While her words were slightly slurred, she was not longer a lightweight and could easily hold her own after several drinks, as was evident by her surprisingly coherent behavior right now. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her bare arm.

"Well, I'm glad you did your research, because I don't want the entire crew to knew that I'm an old man."

"More like you don't want everyone to know that you're robbing the cradle," Tom teased. After several jokes at his expense throughout the evening, he was determined to get the last word in, no matter what the cost. Chakotay ignored him and instead blew out the candles before the wax ruined the beautiful cake. As he blew them out, there was a bright flash, telling him that the Doctor was doing his unofficial job as ship photographer and documenting every moment for posterity. Everyone cheered, although Chakotay wasn't sure if it was because he blew out the candles or because they were excited to finally eat the delicious cake.

With his slice of cake in hand, Tom threw himself down unceremoniously next to Harry and across from B'Elanna on the collection of couches at the far end of the mess hall. As soon as he took a bite of the chocolate dessert, he was in heaven, it was just as delicious as it looked, if not better. Chell really outdid himself with all the cooking and preparation this time around, along with the help of Seven of course.

"You know, I was thinking," he blurted out between bites of cake.

"Here we go," B'Elanna commented dryly. It was never a good idea when Tom started thinking. While the man was undeniably brilliant and hands down the best pilot she'd ever seen, it usually wasn't a good thing when he made an announcement like that, especially after several beers. While B'Elanna seemed skeptical, Harry looked intrigued as he leaned forward.

"What about?" he asked before picking up his beer where he stowed it at his feet so he could eat his cake.

"Have you ever noticed that Seven only refers to Chakotay as Commander?"

"Well, he is her Commander," B'Elanna pointed out bluntly. Clearly her husband wasn't firing on all cylinders if that's the best he could come up with right now. She figured he used all his energy trying to think of smart comebacks all evening.

"Yeah, but I don't go around referring to you as Lieutenant Torres."

"Maybe you should. You know, show me a little bit of respect." Tom scoffed. There was no way that was going to happen, and all three of them knew that. The pair hadn't referred to each other by their formal titles in years. It was an entertaining thought though.

Ignoring B'Elanna remark, Harry asked, "What's your point?"

"Do you think she does that in bed?" Harry nearly choked on his beer, which would have sent the liquid flying out his nose at record speed had he not coughed and caught himself at the last possible moment. He never wanted to think about what any of his friends on _Voyager_ did in bed, although Tom had a habit of giving him a play by play of his exploits with B'Elanna every once in awhile. He'd never tell B'Elanna though, she'd undoubtedly use her Klingon knowledge to find the most painful way to kill him.

"You're a pig," she sneered.

"Yeah, but you married me, so I'm your pig forever." She rolled her eyes. Unfortunately, he was right. He could all the comments he wanted, and there was nothing she could do about it; it was simply who he was.

"Oh boy," she commented bitterly. At this point in their relationship, she was used to his obnoxious and sometimes insensitive remarks. In fact, she had come to expect them at this point in their relationship. He really was harmless and always sarcastic; Tom wasn't the type of person to make comments out of malice, it wasn't in his nature.

Although her knowledge of birthday parties was more limited than others, Seven felt confident in classifying Chakotay's surprise party as a complete success. The food and refreshments were delicious, the company wonderful and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, so much in fact that the party didn't end until nearly midnight. Nobody intended to stay out that late, but time flew by as they all enjoyed being together. It was everything Chakotay could have asked for in a birthday party, which was only made better by the fact that it was Seven who organized all of it for him.

Seven's feet felt like they were on fire as she and Chakotay walked back to his quarters for the night. Try as she might, she simply couldn't hide her discomfort. It was a slight limp, but enough to catch Chakotay's attention as they walked hand in hand. He immediately stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm undamaged," Seven replied.

"That's not what I asked, _muñeca_. You're limping." Seven knew she couldn't deceive Chakotay, even if it was something as trivial as this.

"This shoes aren't suitable for long term wear." The heels were significantly narrower than the boots she typically wore, not to mention several centimeters taller, and tehs hoes didn't offer the same support for her ankles as her typical footwear. At first, it hadn't been too much of a problem, but after being on her feet for several hours, she was starting to feel the effects of the accursed shoes.

"So take them off," he reasoned with a shrug of his shoulders, causing her eyes to grow wide with shock. While she was getting used to bending some rules and social norms, walking down the corridor barefoot was incredibly improper and crossed the line for her.

"I can't do that," she spluttered.

"Sure you can." Without bothering to ask for permission, Chakotay knelt down and her feet and unbuckled the sandals. Of course, she could just buckle the shoes up again, but once the straps were loosened, her feet immediately started feeling better, so to buckle them up again would be like torture. Instead, she complied with his suggestion and stepped out of her shoes. The carpeting was rough against her bare feet. It was the same utilitarian carpeting in Chakotay's quarters, but he did his best to cover it with softer rugs to add a homier feel. Before standing up, Chakotay scooped up the sandals and dangled them in his one hand while he took her hand with his free hand. She stood still, staring uncomfortably at her bare feet. "If it makes you uncomfortable, you can put the shoes back on." She shook her head.

"It's fine," she assured. "Just a strange phenomenon, but we only have a little further until we get to your quarters." As she walked, Seven knew she had made the right decision in taking off her shoes. Her feet felt a million times better without the heels on. The shoes really hadn't been a problem until the last hour or so of the party, but she simply ignored the discomfort for the sake of enjoying herself.

When they got to the privacy of his quarters, Chakotay immediately sat on the couch and pulled Seven down onto his lap. The red lights cast a comforting glow throughout the quarters as she wrapped an arm around his neck. Just like her, his feet were starting to hurt as well, although not nearly as much since he was wearing one of his seldom used pair of dress shoes. Even so, it felt wonderful getting off his feet for a little while.

"I am capable of sitting on my own," she commented.

"And yet, this is far more comfortable." It was hard to argue with that logic. His warm hand rested on her thigh, exposed thanks to the daring slit up the side of her dress. She ran her fingers through his hair and rubbed small circles on the back of his neck.

"Did you enjoy the party?" she asked. They'd both been so wrapped up in their own socializing, that they barely had time to talk during the actual celebration.

"It was perfect," he replied. "Everything I could ever want in a birthday." Her free hand rested on his cheek as she leaned down to kiss him. He closed his eyes and returned the kiss. Without even realizing it, his hand ran higher along her thigh, pushing up the dress even further. While she'd been self-conscious about the length of the dress earlier, it didn't bother her at the moment. Instead, her hand shifted to rest on the side of his neck.

"It's after midnight," she murmured against his lips.

"Do you need to rest?" She had to be exhausted. Not only did she return to duty after several weeks off, but she also played the perfect hostess at his birthday party. She might act like everything was alright, but he couldn't help but worry. She was still recovering from a near death experience and needed to act accordingly.

"No, I'm fine, but it's officially your birthday." He stopped to think. He hadn't really been paying attention to the time.

"I guess it is."

"That means I can officially give you your present." Confusion flashed across his face.

"I thought the party was my present," he blurted out. The party was everything he could ask for, he didn't expect Seven to give him something else in addition to it; as far as he was concerned, she'd already gone above and beyond.

"No, the party was exactly that, a party. My research told me that I should also get you a present." She kissed the corner of his lips softly before getting to her feet and disappearing to the bedroom where hid the present amongst her clothes in the closet. It was the only place she felt confident he wouldn't find it, although it was small enough to hide just about anywhere.

Moments later, Seven returned with a small brown box that fit in the palm of her hand. Tied around the box was a red ribbon, expertly tied and fastened to the top. She'd made sure to keep the wrapping simple, as Chakotay wasn't the type of person to relish in over the top gifts.

"Happy birthday." She sat down, this time next to Chakotay and not on his lap, and handed over the box.

"You really didn't have to do this. The party was more than I could ever ask for."

"This present is already prepared, it would be rude not to accept it."

"Then I guess my hands are tied." Chakotay had absolutely no intention of turning down the present; he simply couldn't believe that she planned the perfect surprise party and got him a present. Very carefully, he untied the ribbon and opened the box. The contents glowed as he picked it up. "It's a holodeck program," he stated rather bluntly as he tried to figure out why Seven would be giving him a holodeck program.

"Tom helped me write a program, and we're leaving tomorrow for a three day vacation." Now everything fell into place: why Seven had been spending so much time with Tom the past few days, and why Kathryn gave him the next few days off; they weren't just for him to relax in his quarters, all of this was planned.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"That's a surprise, but I will give you one final birthday present." Without actually handing Chakotay anything, she got to her feet and began to walk away, leaving him to figure out what she was talking about. When she realized that he wasn't following her, she glanced at him coyly over her shoulder. "Are you coming?" Finally, it dawned on him what she was talking about. His arms flailed as he scrambled to his feet and rushed after her.

 **Author's Note:** I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the next chapter is the last. Fear not, though, I have several shorter fics that I'll be posting, along with Adjustment Period. I'm doing my best to get back in the habit of posting regularly, but between work, grad school and the boyfriend, it's a bit of a challenge. I appreciate all your patience! Make sure to leave a review.


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